Seeing All or Nothing
by xbluxmoonx
Summary: Life is complicated when the Royal Family and the Sheikah race are after you. With those there to help me gone, I'm all alone. That is, if you don't count the one Sheikah meant to kill me going against everything he's been taught, to save me.
1. Prologue

Well, everyone. This is the long awaited continuation to the Seeing Truth trilogy. I hope you all enjoy. And remember, those who haven't read Seeing Truth or Seeing Lies- it would be a good idea to read them or at least skim it. I know, it's a lot, but maybe it'll go by fast.

Disclaimer: I don't own any Legend of Zelda character or anything else belonging to _Nintendo_. Of course, I changed a few things up in my opinion.

Also, I give credits to Lizai for the title "Seeing All." It helped me come up with the "or Nothing" part. I might change the title if I feel like it would be better.

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Prologue

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Shattering my most imperfect dream that Monday morning drove me to madness. I swatted the alarm clock in aggravation, hoping to quiet the strumming of an electric guitar and the singing of a horse and send them to a black oblivion where nothing existed. It was a perfect spring morning, wasn't it? The sun was shining brightly outside, the San Francisco breeze ruffling my hair as I sat up in rigid motions to glare at the open window, wondering why my mother would open it so early.

_In hopes to wake you up you moron_, my mind retorted, as if I should actually know!

I tossed the covers off of me and staggered to the window. Outside, trolleys rushed by and cars shrieked along the rolling and curving streets, the drivers hoping to get to work on time. I ducked my head outside, welcoming the sea breeze as I gazed at the ocean blue horizon dotted with tall specks of white.

Moving to San Francisco had been the best thing that had happened to me in the past seven months. My family and I had left the rickety old house in the tiny town to a cozy townhouse near the beach. Linda, my mother had sided with me, debating with my father that leaving the worn out town where I had spent nearly twenty months in a coma to a livelier place would benefit me, help me start anew. Of course, the change wasn't the biggest thing in my mind. We had only moved into a neighboring city.

I smiled anyway. Ten or twenty or thirty miles, we were still away from the horror. I was done with Kado and Isabella and Eric. Pierre and Sophie were in the back of my mind, rotting with the rest of my dreams during those traumatic years. I had given up my old friends and made new ones in hopes to forget how they turned their backs on me when I tried to explain the real meaning behind what had happened to me, or where the scar actually came from.

No one cared about it anymore, either. I was the only one that remembered it as the tendrils on my back grew and grew. They took over my body, wrapping around my arms and legs at a steady pace. It sent shivers up my spine every time I traced the pattern, feeling the tissue that embarked further on my skin.

"Jade!" Mia, my sister called, "Get your ass downstairs!" I snapped my head back inside my room, hitting my head against the window's woodwork along the way. I yelped and rubbed the back of my head profusely.

I could hear my mother, Linda was scolding her for cursing inside the house. I smirked before sighing in relief.

I changed quickly and took care of my personal hygiene before trudging downstairs with my backpack slung over my shoulder.

"Is the bus here yet?" I asked, grabbing a piece of toast from the plate set on the table.

My father rolled his eyes and replied as he turned his attention back to the morning newspaper, "Nope, I think you made it early this time."

Mia checked her watch, "You have five minutes to spare." She grinned before forking the rest of the syrupy pancakes in her mouth.

"Hallelujah!" I waved a goodbye before rushing out the door.

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"You're early!" Tommy joked with disbelieving eyes as I walked up to him to where he stood at the routine school bus stop.

I smirked, "Thanks to my alarm that woke me up on time." He ruffled my hair and I poked his watermelon spikes.

"I guess this is the color of the week," I pointed out just as the school bus screeched to a halt in front of us. I waved the gas exhaust away, trying to hold back a cough.

Tommy smirked as the doors flew open, "It's an experiment."

I furrowed my eyebrows for a mere second before smiling, "I guess you have to try something first before going through with it."

"Don't I know it!" he bounded up the steps and I followed.

"Make a route to a different dimension, then, Tommy-boy."

XxxxXxxxX

"You seem to have forgotten one minor detail," I chided Laura as I pulled my physical Ed shirt over my head so that half my words were muffled, "It's been growing."

She tossed her light auburn hair to the side, "I'm telling you, it's a birthmark that looks like a scar." So, maybe she was the only one that seemed to care about the freakish thing on my back. Everyone else stared at it like it was a spider ready to attack him or her.

"Pfft," I rolled my eyes, "A friggin' ugly birthmark. I've had this scar ever since I went into the coma, and it keeps getting longer."

"Then, what is it?" she questioned, furrowing her eyebrows.

I hesitated, "You wouldn't believe me."

She smiled, her blue eyes bright as she tugged her hair into a low ponytail; "Try me."

"You'll freak."

"Then let me be freaked."

"It's a scar…" I thought for a moment, "that signifies…my place…in this society of…extinct mutant races that…have…been…"

"You're just making that up!" she screeched. I smirked, glad that she had cut me off from continuing.

"I told ya'." She pushed my shoulder playfully and I cocked my head while she walked passed me. "Open your eyes, chica." I muttered incoherently.

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There's a time to forget and a time to remember. Life is filled with those opportunities that drive us crazy if we miss. If we neglect them, we remember them for the rest of our lives, and if we follow them- there's always the larger chance that we'll end up forgetting it a few months later.

I didn't have an opportunity to choose last time. I just had to live with what happened to me. Actually, it had already been chosen, hadn't it? I was already "chosen" by the ancient goddesses to become "the Bearer." Whatever the hell I was supposed to do still didn't seem clear to me.

But, I hadn't seen Kenny in nearly seven months, I hadn't had any recurring nightmares, I wasn't being haunted by a ghost, there weren't pointy-eared elves walking the streets, and I hadn't played a Legend of Zelda game in the longest time.

I felt alive…

And slightly cold, but what did it matter? For nearly my entire sophomore year of high school, I was living freely. I wasn't worrying about what Kenny had said. Why should I? What was I supposed to do? Stay up late at night and plot battle strategies?

For crying out loud I didn't care anymore! Let him find me, let him chase me; let him kill me- it didn't matter! In so long I had lived my life normally, with one minor dysfunction- the scar. It was the one thing that reminded me, sent chills up my spine every time I though about it.

Seven months ago my life began over again.

Now, my life was over.

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Prologue out- hurray! I'm sorry to those I sent PMs to when they hadn't asked or to those I didn't because I forgot. I just sent them to people who I thought were reading and had asked and stuff. XD And I felt like updating earlier than usual just for the heck of it. So, tell me what all of you think!


	2. Cold

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 1: Cold

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If I could understand the way the universe worked, I wouldn't be here. I'd be somewhere bigger, somewhere better. I wouldn't be living a small life, would I? I could be doing bigger and better things, right? But, I could be out in the middle of the ocean right now and screaming for something to happen, but nothing would come of it. I would only draw away animals and rock the boat. What if I fell? What if I dropped into the deep, dark, blue oblivion of the ocean only to be lost forever? Would anyone notice? Would anyone call for me, reach for my hand, pull me up, save me? Who would want me? Who would hold me…?

"Hello? Jade?" A hand waved in front of my face. I glared at Laura as she sat next to me. "Were you daydreaming, again?"

I sighed, "What gives you that idea?"

"I was making funny faces for two hours." She retorted.

I narrowed my eyes, "We haven't been sitting here for two hours."

She smiled, "Yeah, that's true."

I rolled my eyes and returned to the blank piece of lined paper on my lap, "What should I write about?"

"It's your essay." She said, popping a chip in her mouth. "Write about world hunger."

I smiled bitterly, "It could so easily be solved- if someone just paid attention to it and figured it out."

"So could this math problem." She remarked, scribbling something on her paper, "But no one gives a shit about it."

I shrugged, rubbing my arms as a shiver went up my spine, "Are you cold?"

She raised a plucked eyebrow, "Cold? Are you crazy? It's May and we're in my room without the ceiling fan on. If anything- it's hot."

"I am, so what?" I said, putting my jacket on. She rolled her eyes and I smiled.

"Maybe that scar is defecting you somehow." She said with a smirk, sarcasm dripping. My smile faded, however; Kenny's long ago words came rushing back to me, as if someone just slapped me in the face.

"What? What did I say?" she said, suddenly frantic.

I shook my head, grabbing my belongings and stuffing them in my backpack. "Nothing." I tried sending her a smile to relieve her. It didn't seem to work, however. "I have to go, Laura. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Are you all right?" she asked as I reached the doorway.

I turned to her and feigned another smile, "Yeah, I just remembered I had to do something."

She cocked her head, not believing me, "All right, see you tomorrow."

I rushed out of her house and down the front door steps. The cool breeze made me shiver and I jogged onto the sidewalk, feeling vulnerable out in the open. Pedestrians walked by, staring at me like I was insane. I ignored their gazes and continued, glancing everywhere.

"Hey! Watch it!" I bumped into someone, sending them sprawling back. Those same words came from the same, familiar voice. "You, again!" I turned around to glare at the brunette staring at me. My heart skipped a beat at his breathtaking appearance. "Why is it every time I see you, you run into me?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked, too wrapped up asking my own questions to listen to his.

"I live here." He replied. I glanced at the black duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

"You play a sport?" I said in slight disbelief. What did it matter, though? He was the best archer I had ever seen, right?

He narrowed his eyes, the hazel green gleaming, "What's it to you?"

I cocked an eyebrow, "Nothing."

"So, what are _you_ exactly doing here?" he asked, shoving his hands into his jean pockets. I ignored his gaze and watched his chestnut hair tousle in the breeze.

"I live here, too." I grimaced, fixing the backpack strap over my shoulder. Someone honked a car horn around the corner.

He raised his eyebrows, "Do you play a sport?"

"What's it to you?" I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion before realizing my habitual retort.

He smirked, "Exactly." He pushed past me and I glared.

"You think you're so fucking smart, don't you?" I seethed. A strand of hair entered my mouth and I sputtered it out. He turned around and cocked his head.

"Don't blame me for your misconception." He said before resuming walking.

"No. I don't blame you," I followed him, "but I hope you can change it." He stopped, and I impeded my following just in time before having a chance to collide into his back.

"For some utter reason, I keep thinking you _want_ to talk to me despite your smartass remarks." He said as I walked around to face him.

"And what if I do?" I questioned, folding my arms across my chest.

He gazed at me for a longer period than I would have liked, as if he was sizing me up, checking to see if I was a threat in some way or another. "Why would you?"

"Why shouldn't I?" I countered.

He cocked an eyebrow and said curiously, "You're persistent aren't you?"

I smiled sullenly, "I learned from the best."

"And who would that be?" he responded. I gazed at him silently, thinking if I should answer him or not. If I told him, he would probably think I was insane, but if I didn't then there wouldn't be harm done.

"A friend of mine." I said. It was the truth, after all.

He smiled, "Then I guess you should keep trying. I'm not easily won over."

"You'll be surprised."

I left him standing there, surprised yet amused. I had always been fond of the amused, but the surprised part was definitely new.

I liked it.

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Beautiful, hypnotizing, ruby red eyes; they were captivating, calling me into the dark abyss as they stared at me- so close. I wanted to run a hand through the insanely dark, black hair. I wanted to feel his skin under my hand. He was calling me. He wanted me to give in; he wanted me to forget. My lips were pressing into his; I could feel him so close, but I couldn't hold him.

He was gone.

Cold sweat dotted my forehead. I wiped it away and pushed the covers off of me. The light blue curtains in my room ruffled slightly. I squinted before realizing the window was open. I tumbled over my bed sheets and reached toward the windowpane.

A car passed along the street below, the streetlights illuminating silver streaks along the sports car. I shivered suddenly and shut the window.

The coldness still seeped through my skin as I wrapped the covers around me, my thoughts then drifting to the dream. I closed my eyes, recognition hitting that he had come back.

XxxxXxxxX

Weekends were meant for blissful relaxation, to have time to feel the soft sand between my toes, smell the ocean breeze, and play a game of volleyball at the beach…

Well, that _was_ what I wished weekends were like. No matter how close I was to the beach, it was as if I was fifty miles away from it. Homework was a demon, I could have sworn.

All I could do was bundle up in two layers of warm blankets and chatter my teeth while trying to figure out why I even cared that Hitler was trying to take over the entire world. He was mentally challenged! I grumbled, throwing my pen on the blank page of the notebook and shivering as another chill ran up my spine. I rubbed my hands together and blew into them before glaring at the sunrays entering through my bedroom window. The smell of spring air was intoxicatingly real, but highly impalpable to me.

How could I be freezing? The thermostat read seventy-three degrees. It was perfect weather and I was in my room freezing my ass off. The last thing I needed was to have my sister come in telling me she was going to go to the beach with her friends.

"Hey, Jade!" my sister bounded in, her hair up in a short ponytail as she donned a pair of sunglasses from her tote bag. I squinted, glaring at the bright blue towel sticking out from the opening. "Want to come with me and my friends to the beach? Mom and Dad are going to be out shopping for some new furniture." Despite the fact that our living room actually did_ need_ a new coffee table, I couldn't care for it anymore than my homework.

My eyes finally traveled to the swimsuit strap hanging off her shoulder. I glared at her and she watched on innocently.

"Are you crazy?" I seethed through my teeth, tightening the blankets around my shoulders. "I'm freezing, Mia!" She narrowed her eyes in thought, biting her lip and shuffling her feet that were currently donned in flip-flops.

"Maybe you're low on blood." She said. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not sick. It's just…cold." She quirked an eyebrow.

"Whatever," she shrugged, "I'll be at the beach with my friends for a little while. Call mom if you need anything."

"Yeah, sure," I said, "Now get out so I can turn on the heater." She smiled before walking out with a small salute.

XxxxXxxxX

When was the last time we had a visitor? Yesterday? A year ago? Why am I asking? Why the hell is someone even at my door?

I took the blankets with me and shuffled out of my room and down the stairs. The soft hum of the heater had relieved me slightly, as if it were fifty degrees outside and a toasty eighty-nine inside. I glanced out the peephole and widened my eyes, my heart now racing.

My hands were a blur as I unlocked all the locks and creaked the door open to watch the boy in front of me warily.

"Hey," Kado said, his hands in his pockets as he spoke. His eyes were flickering from me to the windows and back to me. "I thought I'd drop by- if that's all right."

I cocked an eyebrow and asked suspiciously, "How do you know where I live?"

"I saw you walking down this block and I thought I'd try and find which house you lived," he smiled, "It took a while after knocking on all those doors." My eyes widened and he laughed. "I'm just joking. I ran into a friend of yours and she gave me your address."

"How did you know she was a friend of mine?" I asked, cracking the door a bit farther to peer at him closer.

He shrugged, "I knew her in elementary school, and I saw you walking out of her house, so…"

"Without me knowing? Why didn't you just ask me?" I questioned, swinging the door wide open. His brown hair disheveled in the sudden swoosh of warm air.

He narrowed his eyes in amusement and disbelief, "Is your heater on?"

"No," I replied defensively. He smiled, however, when he realized how bundled up I was in my blankets and colorful socks and sweatpants and shirt.

"It's seventy-five outside." He said amusedly.

"What are you, the weatherman?" I retorted, my hand still on the door and ready to slam it in his face despite my heart doing a near relapse. "Besides, it's seventy-four." I doubted he heard the last part of my remark.

"Are you going to let me in, or not?" he said, shrugging.

"Why should I?" I asked.

"You came on to me, remember?" My eyes widened as he smirked, watching me with interest.

"Yeah, right. It's not my fault I constantly run into you." My heart was thumping in my chest. _Wonderful, now not only am I cold, and tired, and have a huge scar on my body, and bored as hell, and now I'm starting to hit on the one guy I tried to get away from…ugh…_

His smirk widened, "That wasn't what I meant." I grumbled, feeling defeated, and let him inside. "Do you have some rare illness? Why are you so cold?" He walked inside, instantly taking off his button-up shirt and leaving only a white wife beater underneath. I slammed the door shut and he turned around to watch me with wide eyes, surprised.

"Don't strip here, please," I remarked sarcastically despite my rising heart rate, "Leave that for your job at the strip bar, okay?"

He glared at me before rolling the plain white shirt in a bundle in his hand. "Maybe if your house wasn't set for the perfect temperature of stripping purposes." _Oh, so he was being cocky, eh? _

I narrowed my eyes at him and grabbed his shirt from his hands, "Very funny."

"So, how long have you lived here, exactly?" he asked as I bounded up the stairs with him in tow. I refused to look at him; afraid I'd gawk at him for some strange, hormonal reason that I did _not _want to compensate if he saw me.

"For…six months…?" I hadn't kept count. "How long have you lived here?"

"A few years. Why haven't I seen you around before?" I shrugged and stepped into my room and tossed his shirt on the floor. "Hey," he exclaimed, reaching over and grabbing his shirt. I plopped onto my bed and repositioned myself as comfortably as possible.

"Put it on or it'll be in the trash in five minutes." I muttered, hiding my small smirk of triumph as he unrolled his shirt. _Maybe now_, I thought, _my heart rate can go back to normal_. He grumbled and slid his arms through the long shirtsleeves very casually, as if he knew something that I didn't.

_Is he messing with me?_ I had to breathe in deeply and exhale slowly, hoping he wouldn't notice my gawking and sudden heart-racing problem. _Not good…_

But, yet again, I wasn't so sure I wanted the adrenaline rush to stop.

"Are you doing homework?" he asked, throwing me out of my thoughts. Reality was a little harder to avoid with him around.

"Yeah," I said, "I'm doing my friend's science project…for fun."

"Are you sarcastic all the time?" he said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"No," I smiled usually, glancing up at him just before my face began to flush, "Just with you." My shirtsleeve got in the way and despite the coldness; I rolled it up and grabbed my pencil. Kado's eyes narrowed and I watched him skeptically. "What are you looking at?" He gestured toward my hand and I glanced at it. My scar was very plain against the skin on the back of my hand. It had grown even more now, passing my wrist and obscuring my veins. I quickly rolled the sleeve over my hand; "It's nothing."

"What is it?" he asked, leaning forward and pulling my sleeve up. I slapped his hand away and he glared at me curiously.

"It's a scar, all right? Leave it alone." I muttered with a grimace, pulling away from him.

"How?" he voiced.

"How, what?" I countered, furrowing my eyebrows.

"How did you get the scar?" he seemed impatient.

"What is it to you?"

He leaned back, looking away, "I was just curious, that's all."

I grunted, "Fine. But lose your curiosity. I'm not in the mood to answer your questions."

"Then, what _are_ you in the mood for?" he smirked, raising an eyebrow as he glanced at me from the corner of his eyes.

I turned to look at the window, "Some warmth- if I could feel any."

"How about we go to the beach?" he asked.

"No," I snapped, "It's freezing."

He lay back against the wall where my bed rested next to, and sighed, "I'm bored. "

"It's your fault for visiting." I said, trying to concentrate on my homework rather than him.

"So it is." He murmured before sitting upright suddenly, frightening me for a split second. There was an odd gleam in his eyes as he smirked.

"What are you smiling at?" I asked suspiciously.

His smirk only widened, "Let's have some fun."

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Second chappie down, peeps. Hope you all enjoyed. Guess what? Kado's back!! XD

And thank you all for your wonderful reviews!! I couldn't keep this story going without you guys, so stay posted, yeah? -D


	3. Lost Matters

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 2: Lost Matters

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"I can't believe I agreed to this," I muttered angrily, pulling my jacket's hood up and over my head.

"All we're doing is walking to the park." Kado said nonchalantly, a smile lighting his features.

"To play soccer." I finished, "Why? I suck at soccer."

"You wanted to know what sport I played the other day, remember?" he questioned, repositioning the duffel bag's strap over his shoulder.

We had dropped by his house only a few blocks away to grab a few of his things, and now we were headed to Lincoln Park located very conveniently near the beach. The House of Oren, I had thought wryly, thinking that the beautiful, Spanish-styled house could have even looked like a castle in the midst of all the small condos and whitewashed houses surrounding it.

"And you're thinking a whole lot of sweat and blood is going to get me where?"

He tugged on my scarf playfully, "Warmed up, Mon Cherie."

"Pero tu eres muy molesto, mi amor." I said, fixing my scarf.

He laughed, "Lighten up, Jade."

I glared at him, "I've tried, you know? But every time I see you- all I can think about is my eaten Reese's cup." He laughed again. It was carefree, perfectly like I remembered it. I was addicted to the laughter, to his smile so easily. It felt wrong to join in and ruin it. Although, as much as I was addicted to it, I wanted it to stop. I knew it was wrong to think I could be with him, still. So, I ruined it from intoxicating me. "Don't you have a girlfriend?"

He stopped, his eyes boring into me with an inexplicable expression, as his smile faded. "You like to ruin good moments, don't you?"

"It's just a question." I shrugged, trying to sound innocent. He began to walk faster, his hands once again shoved into his pockets. I paced after him to keep to his side. "Answer me. What's so wrong with that?"

"We broke up a few months ago." He said quietly.

I furrowed my eyebrows, "I'm sorry."

He turned and glared at me, "No, you aren't."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Don't…you…I…ugh…" All right, so I was at a loss for words. I supposed he was, too, since we continued the walk in silence.

Once Lincoln Park was in view, I scuffled past the small groups of people walking by, avoiding the tennis courts in the meanwhile, and across the street toward the wide, grassy space. The ocean breeze blew against my face as I listened to the waves break against the rocky shore.

"Do you like the ocean?" I asked him, sitting down on the grass and taking off my jacket. I was cold, but I didn't really care anymore. It was a shame to miss so much freedom.

He set the duffel bag on the ground a few feet away from me before unzipping it, "Yeah, I do." I watched as he took out a soccer ball and tossed it toward me. I caught it before it could hit me in the face.

"That's all you had in there?" I said, as he zipped the duffel back up.

He glanced at me, "No, but I wasn't going to carry a soccer ball in my hand for ten blocks."

I rolled my eyes at the exaggeration and stood up, "Let's play, then, amigo." He walked over to me, a small smile on his features before snatching the soccer ball from my numb fingers. I yelped, and he laughed as he dropped the ball to the ground and began to dribble it away from me.

"That's not fair." I said, running after him and trying to steal the soccer ball back. He blocked me from behind and I grumbled, stopping.

"Come on, Jade." He said as he went to a good distance and turned to face me.

"I suck, loser." I retorted, folding my arms across my chest. But in fact, I was the loser.

"I doubt that. You probably have never tried. You're just afraid to get down and dirty." He said, kicking the ball up in the air and grabbing it.

"I…um…" I hesitated and he tossed me the soccer ball.

"You start." He said as I caught it.

"But…" I dropped it to ground, "Um, I… ugh… You better not go easy on me."

He smirked, "I won't." So I began dribbling away from him, constantly looking up then down at the soccer ball. I was gaining good distance away from him as he followed warily. I was growing confident, too, but that was until he slid his foot past me, kicking the ball away from the both of us. I had to skip over him as I nearly collided with him.

"Grass stains come off in the washer, love." He said, running after the soccer ball. I glared at him before coming from the side and bringing the ball towards me and sliding it so that I had to turn around and resume dribbling.

"You know, this one girl kneed me in the gut in elementary during a scrimmage." I said, trying to block him as he came from behind me.

"You must have pissed her off." He remarked as he reached with his foot to kick the ball. I moved it away from him before he could reach it.

"I had already kicked it to a different player." I continued as he ended up running backward in front of me.

"Maybe she just hated you." He smiled and I stumbled, falling forward. He caught me just in time, unfortunately. I had really hoped to fall rather than to drag him along with me. We fell with a thud as my hands grabbed onto his shirt. I yelped and he grunted as his head made contact with the soft ground underneath.

"I'm sorry," I said over and over again, trying to get off of him as I felt my face flush from embarrassment. I stumbled, however, making it harder to stand up. He had shut his eyes for a mere few seconds before opening them up once again to see me sitting above him, my hands still on his chest.

"You're cold." He said. I gazed at him nervously, my hands shaking as I tried to think up a reasonable excuse.

"I'm, I… I told you I sucked…um…" I climbed off of him before reaching out my hand despite what he had said. He took it and I lifted him up with ease since he had hardly pressured his weight on me.

He didn't let go of me, however, but rather covered my hand with both of his own. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Of course," I said awkwardly, reluctantly removing my hand from his warm grip.

"Maybe you should get checked by a doctor." He continued. I shook my head, turning away to stare off at the set of trees that lined the border between the park and the sloped shore where the water flowed beyond it. I squinted, noticing a figure leaning against the trees. In a moment, it disappeared. I widened my eyes, feeling my heart race.

I turned around suddenly, startling Kado and knocking him back slightly. I apologized. "It's nothing, Kado. Honestly, stop worrying."

"Are you sweating at all?" he asked, feeling my forehead. I pushed his hand away. He knew it as well as I did- I wasn't anywhere near perspiring, and I still felt the coldness biting against my skin.

"Just," I stuttered, walking away from, "Leave me alone."

"Jade," he called after me, taking a hold of my arm and turning me around to face him, "Who was that?" I furrowed my eyebrows in bewilderment, but he ignored my irritation and continued, "I know you saw him- by the trees. He just disappeared."

I sighed, "It has nothing to do with you."

"Then whom does it have to do with?" he asked, his eyes narrowed.

"No one." I exclaimed angrily, finally tired of his questions.

"You knew who I was, didn't you?" he remarked. I looked away; "You knew my name when you ran into me in the theatre."

"It was a coincidence." I muttered.

He watched me suspiciously, his hazel eyes clouding over, "Don't lie to me."

I jerked away from his grip on my arm, "What does it have to do with you?" My jacket lay there helplessly on the grass and I swatted it up and shrugged it on.

"It has everything to do with me, now." He retorted, "Apparently… You knew who I was, so then, why don't I know you as well?"

"It's because…you… It wasn't about you." I said, walking away from him.

"I've seen you before," he called. I could hear his footsteps behind me, "Not in the theatre or in the street." I stopped suddenly, then around to face him. "I've seen you…" he ran a hand through his hair.

"Seen me where?" I urged, stepping towards him.

He sighed, "In my dreams."

I furrowed my eyebrows, "When?" He glanced up at me. Before, he had been staring toward the ocean, probably embarrassed. The twinge of pink flushed on his face told me.

"For months, now..." He sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. I rubbed my eyes, feeling lost.

I finally looked up at him, "We need to talk."

XxxxXxxxX

I told him nearly everything about what I had gone through: the coma, the "dream", Kenny, Link, the entire _Legend of Zelda_ cast, his character, Isabella, the rest of them, and me. It was hard to explain to him, to tell him what I had been bottling up for so many months. Some reactions I had expected, and others I hadn't. I couldn't imagine how he would react if I told him we had been something in the "dream". I left that part out, and the part about me even giving out a twinge of jealousy when I spoke of Liyanne and Isabella and me in the sidelines. He smiled when he thought of hating Isabella. I knew he still wanted her. There was no doubt about it. I could see it so clearly, so well through his expressions, his small habits.

"You expect me to believe all this?" he said in amazement, running a hand through his hair.

I shrugged, "You wanted to know."

"So, now what?" he snapped, "You're going to wait for this Kenny guy to come and kill you?"

I bit my lip and thought for a moment, "Well, if he gets to me, then what else is there to do? I'm done, Kado. I've been done. I've been living my life fine for seven-straight months. I feel like I've done all I can do. If he comes, he comes."

His eyes narrowed, anger evident in his expression, "You're giving up?"

I flinched from his aggravation, "What does it matter to you?" I lay back on my bed; my legs still crossed Indian-style. Kado appeared in my vision again and I rolled my eyes, trying to look away.

"It matters." He retorted sternly, glaring at me.

I watched him from the corner of my eyes, "You sure are determined."

"I'm not going to let him kill you." He continued, leaning forward so that he was about a foot away from my face.

"Yeah, and get yourself killed in the process. I don't have much time so you should just go. I don't want you in the way." He furrowed his eyebrows in disbelief, shaking his head as he did so.

Maybe I'd said it wrong.

He was quiet for few minutes, as we stared each other down in quiet pleading on my part and stubborn defiance on his. Finally, he stood up. The bed creaked slightly under the loss of weight. I breathed a sigh of relief, as he walked to my bedroom doorway to linger there a few seconds longer, his hand resting on the doorframe.

He turned to me. "You left one thing out in your story, Jade."

"And what was that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

With his voice distant, he answered quietly, "You loved me."

My eyes widened in shock as he turned around and disappeared down the corridor, leaving me alone once again.

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I know, it's short, but I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can. The next chapter will dive into the point of the story. Sorry for it being so slow at the moment. And thank you guys once again for all the great reviews! You guys really keep me writing this.

P.S You guys can check my profile for links to the sketches I did for Jade and Kado at zeldalegends and deviantart. Enjoy the crappy art while it lasts. :D


	4. Kidnapped

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 3: Kidnapped

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I cried that night. I hadn't cried in a long time- not since that day at the theatre. I thought everything was over that day- that now I didn't have to worry about anyone else but me. I was wrong. If I had known, then I would have been more cautious about talking to people, making friends. I wasn't sure if I had made friends with him that day, if I had somehow made him care the tiniest bit about me.

But I had finally driven him away- for the final time, I hoped. He couldn't be involved in something that shouldn't have mattered to him in the first place. And for him to dream about _the dream_ was the most horrific thing Kenny could have done. Maybe he wanted for Kado to know, to ruin me once again, and to drive my emotions somewhere else to make it an even better experience.

So, I called to him. I went to the sloping shore near the park and used his name to come to me. He had to appear, didn't he? He had to know I was searching for him in the middle of the night. It was the best time for a freak of nature that lived in the shadows to appear.

No matter how long or hard I called for him, and no matter how badly my hands and feet and legs and arms froze to death I stood there, in the sand. The ocean was so close, so easy to get lost in. I had jumped into an ocean in my dreams and died supposedly, or maybe just disappeared. It had never made sense what had happened. It was Kenny for crying out loud! What made sense to him and what made sense to me were two completely different matters.

I plopped down on the sand, letting my numb fingers play with the small grains of sand and create shapes in their movement.

"Jade?" a familiar voice called. I snapped my head to where Kado was walking toward me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked incredulously as he sat down next to me.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing," he said with a small smile. I wiped away the wetness at my eyes and sniffled. The waves covered it up and the night was enough to disclose my previous crying. I hoped, anyway.

"I couldn't sleep." I muttered, glancing at him before returning to stare at the horizon. There was a small dot floating precariously over the choppy water. A small point of light emanated from it.

"Same here." He sighed. He seemed to have calmed down from what had happened earlier in the day.

"I- I'm sorry about…" I stopped, deciding how to apologize either way to him.

He shook his head, "Don't worry about it."

"I shouldn't have said that, though." The dot was beginning to look like a small rowboat.

"It's all right, really. I understand." He said; his voice was low and bleak.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

He shrugged, "Nothing."

"You sound like something happened." I remarked. "Tell me."

He sighed, "I just had another dream. It was nothing."

"A dream? About what?" I questioned, gazing up at him curiously.

"About… about the day we met." He murmured. I furrowed my eyebrows before smiling.

"You were a jerk." I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

He smirked, "A real prince, eh? I'm sorry for coming on to you so many times."

I laughed, "Yeah, well. I think I kicked your ass a few times."

"You think?" he said in disbelief.

"Oi!" someone yelled before I could reply. In the midst of the choppy waves there was the rowboat rocking unsteadily in the dark abyss. A figure stood there, her cropped, shining, white hair contrasting with the night sky, but unmoving and covering her ears. Yet, another figure sat in front of her wearing a cloak that hid his or her features. "We need some help, please!" she called in a chiming, bright voice, breaking my thoughts from contemplating it any longer.

Kado and I stood up; ready to grab the rope she tossed to us. I ignored the fact that she had an unnaturally good throwing distance with a heavy piece of rope. It fell in the water and Kado bent down to grab it. My pant legs grew wet as I splashed into the cold water with him. He handed me the end and we pulled the boat out of the water while watching our step on the rocky shore. One slip and we could fall to the dark water below where the slope took a near vertical plunge far into the water.

I glanced at the water, seeing something swim by. A fish, maybe… Or a crab. Crap- crabs would be bad. But it didn't look like a crab, or a fish. Something white… A shark...? I shuddered.

"Thank you so much," the girl said as Kado helped her out of the boat, and drawing me out of my thoughts I cocked my head at her graceful movements. Gazing closer I could see the blue and silver highlights in her hair and the color of her pale but flawless skin. She wore a brown overcoat, hiding her apparel. The other figure stepped out as well without our help. It was too dark to see the person's face, and I didn't bother to ask. The girl smiled, her bright blue eyes gleaming, "We just need some help to unload this food. We didn't have any money to dock at the port across the way." She pointed to the burlap sacks lying on the floor of the small boat. I glanced at Kado suspiciously before feigning a smile to the girl.

_Hope it isn't fish_…

"Where do you need to take the food?" I asked her as I reached over and grabbed one of the full potato sacks. Kado was out of my line of vision, and I wondered if he was about to help with the carrying. The girl didn't answer, however, but I continued to grab for the knot on the top. My fingers fumbled with the tie, too numb to have any strength.

Something grazed against my leg in the water and I practically jumped into the boat hadn't I heard a sickening crack and thud beside me. I froze as something tumbled down onto the boat next to me. My gaze traveled to Kado's motionless face. _Correction, dimwit… Someone… _I gasped and turned around in disbelief, ready to question or run or scream. The last thing I remembered, however, was seeing a gauntleted hand flying toward me.

Another crack and another thud and I had passed out stone cold.

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A pounding headache in the biting cold with the dizzy boat-swaying feeling... If I remembered correctly, I was being kidnapped, and so was Kado. At least, I hoped it wasn't murder and a kidnap. I didn't like the thought of that. It was bad enough that Kenny was coming after me, but now this? Unless this was part of his plan, but then I still would have no clue as to what was happening.

I needed some aspirin.

"I still think you shouldn't have hit them that hard." A familiar girl's voice chimed. There was some small movement despite the constant swish of the wind and the waves that rocked the boat. I feigned unconsciousness and let my head roll back slightly on the hard wood.

"Sorry," another girl's voice. It was deeper, however, but also just as smooth. "I felt like flexing my muscles a little."

The other girl sighed, "They're humans, Ariella. Remember that."

"Yes, mother." The other now known as Ariella said sarcastically.

Something bright suddenly fluttered past my head and I cringed, opening my eyes in alarm.

"I knew she was awake!" A tiny voice exclaimed. I blinked a few times to adjust my vision. I was seeing a ball of light flying right in front of my eyes, nearly blinding me farther. My contacts made it harder to adjust, the dryness causing me to blink about a dozen times.

"Ah, the destined human is a little confused." The girl said as she leaned forward into my line of vision. I glared at her pointed ears that I hadn't seen before. Her hair flowed freely, now and I wondered if it had been my imagination before.

My neck was cramped, and I tried to sit up, deciding to forget watching the mysterious girl. The figure sat on the other seat; her head tilted my direction to watch me. I assumed, anyway, since she had her hood up. I wondered why she was hiding her face.

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice still heavy with exhaustion.

The girl smiled, "My name is Neus and this is Ariella." She gestured to the hooded figure across from her.

"Okay," I said defensively, "Where's Kado?"

"Who?" Her eyebrows shot upward.

Ariella sighed, "The boy, you moron." Her head turned to me, "He's right here, see?" she gestured behind her before picking up a limp hand attached to an arm before dropping it suddenly with a quiet thud.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked, horrified, scrabbling upward and nearly tipping myself over the boat. I quickly righted myself before leaning forward over the wooden seat that Ariella sat on. Kado lay there unconscious on the floor next to the potato sacks. I was grateful they didn't smell like dead fish.

"I think I might have hit him a little harder than I intended." Ariella replied sheepishly. I glanced up at her just as the ball of light flew past us, illuminating her features for a few mere seconds. My eyes widened and I gasped. She quickly lowered her hood, cursing.

"You're a Zora?" I said in disbelief, replaying the glimpse of the scaly white and blue of her skin and her large, dark eyes. Dark blue hair covered nearly half her face, but I could still see the flawless skin shining in the split-second light.

"I had hoped not to scare you." She said.

"Why would you scare me?" I questioned, still in utter bewilderment.

There was a groan from Kado's direction, cutting off the Zora from continuing, and I placed my hand on his arm as he shook his head slowly and opened his eyes. He cursed, moving to sitting position, but hardly noticing his surroundings.

"Are you all right?" he glanced at me and mumbled a 'yes' before running a hand through his hair.

"Where are we?" he asked, touching his forehead lightly and wincing. A small bump was appearing and I cringed, realizing I probably had a knot somewhere on my head, too. I didn't bother to check.

"You're in the Pacific Ocean," Neus's voice said happily as she laughed. Both Kado and I winced. The ball of light reappeared in front of us.

"You guys are so ugly!" it exclaimed with a shrill laugh. I swatted it away and it continued it's shrieking.

"That's Satu." Ariella said in a bored tone, "She's Neus's annoying fairy buddy."

"Eh?" I turned to Neus where she sat smiling at Satu. "You have a fairy?"

Neus nodded, "She's my second cousin, and mom begged me to take her along, and Ariella begged me to come." I could sense the Zora's glare even though I couldn't see behind the darkness of her hood.

"Yeah, so shut up with the buddy crap!" Satu said, making circles around Ariella before the Zora raised her gauntleted hand that seemed to fit her webbed fingers. The tiny fairy made an 'eep' sound before hiding behind Neus just in time to avoid Ariella's reaching distance.

"So, exactly why are we here?" Kado questioned, getting annoyed.

"Well," Ariella began, "You weren't supposed to be here, but we came looking for her." She pointed at me and my ears burned from embarrassment.

"What for?" Kado said defensively.

"To take her to Hyrule, of course." Neus interjected with a singsong laugh.

My eyes narrowed as I inhaled the salty sea air. Another train of questions began to flow through my mind. I asked the simplest one. "Hyrule? I thought it didn't exist."

"Of course it exists." Ariella sounded offended. "That damn Nintendo thought they could steal everything our ancestors worked so hard for and make a mockery of it by making a game out of it."

"So, how did they find out?" I asked.

"It was a stupid mistake to trust a human with our past and let him go." Ariella voiced.

"We don't allow humans onto the island any longer," Neus voiced, "But that is, if they find it anymore. The shaman placed a spell on our kingdom so that it was invisible to the human eye unless the people of the forest grant the 'sight'. And I granted the 'sight' to both of you."

"We trust you to keep to our laws, however." Ariella lowered her hood and I watched as her dark blue hair flew in the wind. Her eyes were dark as night, the white at the edges barely visible as she glanced at the both of us. I couldn't help but gaze at her perfect, pale skin marked with elegant symbols at her neck and to her forehead. Her ears were pointed and edged just like I would have imagined and there were gills at the base of her throat.

"Ah, we're almost there." Neus said and I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"Wait," Kenny's words hadn't made any sense, "Was there a place called Meyenn, or Loronna?"

Ariella raised a questioning eyebrow, "No."

"Oh…" So, maybe he _had_ been telling the truth about the "nonexistent" world. I wanted to slap my forehead in irritation.

Kado glanced at me worriedly and I shrugged, waving him away.

"Who's been rowing the boat?" I asked nonchalantly, trying to block out the onslaught of remaining questions plaguing my mind. Water splashed on me and I gasped from the cold. Two smiling Zoras appeared on each side of the boat.

"Well, hi!" the one closest to me said, his sharp teeth gleaming.

"That's Zeus," Ariella said dismally, gesturing to the one that had greeted me before turning to the one across to the other side of the boat, "And that's Leander." The said Zora nodded his head in a short greeting.

"They've been pulling us along?" I questioned in disbelief.

"Yeah, baby," the one called Zeus said with a chuckle, "The path to the island can only be found under the water. It's easy to get lost without it."

"Are you two good swimmers?" Ariella asked us suddenly.

I shrugged, "I guess…?"

"Yeah, sure..." Kado replied, shrugging. I glared at him and the corners of his mouth twitched upward into a smirk.

"Can you hold your breath a little longer than a minute?" Neus chimed in. My eyes widened and I shook my head. Kado shrugged again. This time, I narrowed my eyes.

_Show off…_

"Oi," Ariella sighed. "Everyone on the island is an excellent swimmer because of our location. You'll need some help getting through the tunnel."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, "What tunnel?" Kado glanced at me before watching them warily.

Satu laughed maniacally as she swirled around in circles around us, "That tunnel!" I was too afraid to look behind me. The boat stopped; the wood scraping along something jagged.

"Lesson number one:" Zeus laughed, "Take a deep breath before you jump." He disappeared below the water.

"Lesson number two:" Leander said, "Swim fast but efficiently." And he splashed under the water as well.

Ariella stood, taking her hooded apparel off to reveal a blue tunic with ripped edges. She smiled, "Lesson number three: Don't rush." She dived into the water gracefully, hardly a splash in the making.

Satu flew upward, her light dimming with every second. Neus stood up, now. "Lesson four: Hold on."

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Look! Zoras!!

Hope you all enjoyed! The next chappie will be up as soon as possible! And thank you guys for all the wonderful reviews and comments and compliments and all of those and hope you all stay posted!

P.S To not make Kado look bad for the sake of himself, Neus occupied him before he could help with the "food" and Ariella punched him. She has exceptional strength, which goes along with being a Zora.

Whew, cleared that up.

Until next time, folks.

xbluxmoonx


	5. Breathless

Disclaimer: I don't own any Legend of Zelda characters or anything belonging to it, like, oh say, Hyrule… Or for anything from CSI for that matter. Of course, there are characters that I own, but I won't delve into that for now. Seeing All or Nothing 

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 4: Breathless

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I hated lessons; I hated lectures in general. I was never fond of following advice.

_Okay, so if it included life or death?_

All right, maybe if it included life or death I would listen.

I took in a deep breath as I held onto Kado's shirt. He promised to go after me. I honestly knew I was going to be near death by the time this ended. No matter how much help I was given, there was always going to be that nagging feeling in the back of my mind.

My eyes grazed over the large, dark rocks that rose high above the sea, the tops curving slightly before sloping down once again. I could see how slippery it was and no matter what- there was no chance of hiking. That hope was lost.

Neus had forced me to take out my contacts only a few minutes before, and forcing me to go to near blindness once again. It was frustrating to have to throw away my only way to have a perfect vision. I had grumbled curses and flicked away the clear pieces of filmy material into the choppy waters.

"Ready?" Kado voiced, watching me warily. Another deep breath and I dived in.

The cold water seeped through my clothes and bit my skin, numbing me to the bone even further than I had before. I heard another splash above me as I swam downward, avoiding the jagged rock and following Neus's dim glow at the corner of my eye. A soft hand grabbed onto my wrist and pulled me forward at a fast pace. I closed my eyes tightly, the salty water drying and burning my eyeballs.

I felt random bumps and grazes against rock and kelp around me, forcing me to shiver as I assumed we had entered the tunnel. Seconds had passed and my lungs were beginning to ache from the pressure. I winced, trying to keep calm and not fidget. The hand continued to pull me further through the water. My legs twitched, wishing to go faster. The hand tugged on me, as if to tell me to be still. My eyes shot open and I watched one of the Zoras swimming by me, dragging Kado by the collar. He watched me worriedly and blinked. I grabbed my shirt and curled my legs close to me, feeling dizzy.

I closed my eyes once again, my lungs burning and aching inside of me. The water hit my face harder now as we traveled faster against the current. I groaned inwardly, exhaling slightly. I gritted my teeth, grabbing the Zora's hand with mine and digging my nails into his skin. He went faster. My leg hit a rock in the tunnel. I exhaled again and groaned, then forced to open my eyes. The opening of the tunnel grew wider, the rough rocks layering with more kelp and shells and coral. Beyond the figures I could see an opening where the kelp swam freely. I let go of the Zora's hand and began to kick my feet. His hand on my wrist slipped ever so slightly and I panicked, my mouth opened and so close to inhaling. The other figures had already disappeared, now.

I reached with my free hand, hoping to grasp the light and the air in some way and pull me forward. I kicked my feet again as long pieces of kelp brushed against me. I panicked, again. The kelp swirled around my leg and I tried kicking it away. It caught suddenly and the Zora's hand slipped from my wrist as I floated backwards and hit hard against the rock wall. He disappeared and I moaned from the pain. My fingers couldn't reach for the kelp. I tried breaking lose from it, but the roots merely tugged from between the crevices in the rock.

Something grazed against my face and I flinched, but Kado was there- along with Ariella. He took hold of the sides of my face, forcing me to look at him as Ariella unsheathed a dagger from her belt. I squirmed and he reassured his grip as I gritted my teeth. He opened his mouth slightly and pressed it to mine.

It was easier to breathe, now. My lungs ached less as I inhaled and exhaled- him giving me breath and I giving him back. My heart was racing, but my mind couldn't process clearly. I held my breath just as he gave the indication of breaking from me. He pulled on my hand just as the kelp snapped, freeing my leg. Ariella grabbed my collar and swam toward the opening. Kado swam after.

It was a pain to breathe. Gasping for air and struggling to stay afloat forced my body to work harder than I thought possible. The water was much calmer, but I hardly cared where we were- just as long as we reached land. Ariella continued to pull me along and I fought and swam at the same time. My lungs were burning with every breath I took, making it harder as I choked on what I had been pining over for only minutes when it had seemed like hours.

"You'll be fine, Jade," I heard Ariella say calmly as she swam fluidly through the water. I closed my eyes and dug my fingers in between my collar and the skin on my neck to avoid complete suffocation.

My shoes grazed against something under the water, and it was only until my hands brushed against the wet sand that I realized we were near land. I pulled myself up quickly, my body aching as I did so. My head was swimming and I wished to be in my bed with the heater on full blast.

Ariella let go of my collar and I turned onto my stomach to crawl away from the water. It was sickening to even be near it.

"Come with us," Neus spoke. I glanced upwards from where she sat on the sand, completely dry. Through the night darkness, I could still see patches of green grass behind her. There was a house in the distance as well.

"Where are we?" I heard Kado ask as he sat down next to me, taking my arm and pulling me upwards.

"Lake Hylia," Zeus said. I glimpsed toward him. Something flopped in his hand and I squinted. He was holding a silver fish by the tail as it scrabbled to get away. I looked away, feeling a little sick. "This will make good for dinner, right, Ariella?"

"Yeah, sure," she muttered, shaking her hair and spraying the water everywhere. I shivered even more. "Just put it away." Zeus shrugged and tossed it back in the water.

Leander sighed, "You idiot. How are we going to find that fish, again?"

Zeus shrugged, "Might as well let the little guy have some freedom before he gets eaten, right?"

Neus rolled her eyes before turning to us as I shivered next to Kado, "You two need some change of clothes, don't you?" I nodded, my teeth chattering as I wrapped my arms around my legs in hopes to keep a little warmth inside me.

She stood up and Kado did as well. I sat in place until he reached down with his hand, "Come on, Jade." I took it rigidly and he pulled me up.

"We'll see you two later, then." Ariella said with a sympathetic smile, her dark eyes wide as she walked past us. "Take care of them, will you, Neus!" she said before diving into the water. Leander and Zeus followed closely.

"Hurry up, losers!" Satu squeaked as she flew past us in a hurry.

"H-how did sh-she get here?" I asked in irritation, glaring at the fairy as she situated herself on top of Neus's head.

"She flew over the rock." Neus replied before walking up the gentle slope with us in tow.

"Where are we heading?" Kado said, running a hand through his wet hair. I shakily squeezed the water out of my own.

"Kokiri Forest," Satu exclaimed happily before turning to the girl whose head she was sitting on. "Do you think the Great Deku Tree will be happy to see us?"

Neus laughed, "Of course. He's been waiting for us to return for days."

I glanced around our surroundings, familiarizing myself with the river to our right and the hills below and to the left. The small house I assumed belonged to the crazy scientist. Small birds rested on the railing on the roof and I walked faster. Small birds or crows, I was still freaked.

There was a clearing up ahead, where the rock walls parted and revealed the entrance into the fields. There was no gate or ladder or wall that needed to be crossed. It was just a plain entrance.

Neus must have seen my amazed expression since she spoke, "Hyrule isn't as complicated as the Nintendo creators made it up to be. It's a peaceful island, now. Over a hundred years ago, however, the kingdom was infested with monsters and traps and puzzles. The Hylians got rid of it, though, save for a few precautions." Kado and I nodded in understanding as we stepped into the clearing.

It was odd enough to see Hyrule for the "first" time, but to see it so small; everything so conveniently located. The oak trees to the east rose up high, as if trying to reach out and grab the stars above. A path led farther into the darkness of the forest.

I glimpsed to the west. There were the red canyons standing precariously and very lonely against the blackness of night. Farther north- a few miles in the distance, I saw a tall fence surrounding an old-fashioned house with red shingles. Lanterns were lit against the bamboo fence, illuminating its surroundings and allowing some light to shed onto the houses behind it. I could only guess that I was peering at Lon Lon Ranch.

"This way," Neus voiced and Kado placed his hand on the small of my back to guide me the right way.

We stumbled into the dark confines of the forest and I kept my eyes roving the ground for any rocks in the dirt path. We escalated up a small hill before reaching a rickety, worn-out bridge. The fairy walked calmly across and I took it we could go along as well. There was a small stream underneath, trickling down the path before plunging downward.

"The Lost Woods slowly deteriorated after Gannon's death. The children, that were once lost, led a normal life afterwards, luckily. The Kokiri live with ease, now." Neus said just as I jumped off the bridge.

I glanced at Kado as he gestured ahead of us. My eyes widened in amazement.

I gazed up at the fireflies and tall, winding trees, and the carved, wooden porches, and vine-covered walls, and small children, and green-garbed beauties with elf features and pointed ears. Soft, minstrel music was playing and crickets were chirping and children were laughing. It seemed genuine, something a game could never recreate.

"Welcome to Kokiri Forest, guys." Neus said with a smile. Satu flew upward where a group of small fairies conversed near a lantern hanging off the porch of a house made out of a tree stump. Rugs made of vibrant colors and Hylian designs hung from the roof between the open windows where the wood had been sawed through.

"Is it like anything you remember?" Kado asked me, also gazing at the groups of houses made out of tree stumps, and their inhabitants.

I shook my head before voicing my thoughts, "It's even better than last time. I don't think Nintendo could ever remake this." Neus had walked off into a house nearest us and I avoided the river that ran through the opening through the small village, not wanting to be caught falling into cold water again.

A green-haired girl ran past us, laughing as she did so. A group of Kokiri followed closely by. They paid no heed to us.

"I could stay here forever," I murmured. Kado glanced at me with an unreadable expression in his eyes.

Neus walked out of the house with a blonde-haired girl following closely by. She was clad in a pink peasant top and a skirt with familiar Hylian designs. Her sandy blonde hair was combed neatly back and her eyes were watching Kado and me warily.

"This is Princess Zelda," Neus said but the girl quickly nudged her side and Neus corrected it; "Just Zelda." The girl reached out and we shook her hand while exchanging names.

"It is so very good to meet you," she said to me with a smile, "I was just here visiting my brother. Apparently, he's off in the forest again, and we can't find him."

"Have you tried the meadow?" I blurted out.

She shook her head and said light-heartedly; "No one bothers to go up there anymore. There are too many paths to follow, anyway." I shrugged. "You two must be freezing. I think I have some clothes that can fit you," she then turned to Kado, "and I'm sure my brother won't mind you to borrow his clothes." We said our thanks as she led us inside the house.

Candles were lit along the walls, the holders preventing the hot wax to drip to the wooden floor. A window across the doorway allowed a continuous breeze. I folded my arms across my chest and sat down on the wooden chair that Neus offered.

"We'll let you two rest for the night, and then we can talk more tomorrow." She said as Zelda reappeared from when she had left earlier. There was a pile of clothing in her hand, and she set it on the table in front of us.

"You can stay here, Jade, and Kado can stay in my brother's house." She led Kado out quietly and he glanced at me worriedly with his new clothes in hand. I shrugged. There was no reason to worry, right?

Neus left me to change and I sighed, too exhausted to care anymore. I closed the doorway's flap and resumed to undressing. The clothes slumped on the floor, slapping and squishing against each other, still dripping wet.

I was putting on the dry, soft material of my pants when I heard something snap from outside. I secured the belt and peered through the window. A lone figure was climbing down the vine wall directly across the house and to the right. I only assumed that he had come from the forest above the hills. He dropped to the ground silently and resumed his quiet demeanor down the lone path behind the houses.

Assuming it was Zelda's brother; I used the foot end of the bed resting near the wall and climbed out of the window while using the vines on the rocky wall across from me. I winced from the pain in my arms and legs, but otherwise resumed my way out of the house and outside. That was when I realized I was still barefoot. I cursed quietly, but decided to rather follow the lone stranger.

He was sidling against the wooden bark of an oak tree and peering beyond into the Kokiri path when I reached him. I cocked my head, realizing that the similarity of his sandy blonde hair confirmed that he had to be Zelda's brother. I reached over and tapped his shoulder. He spun around suddenly, his hand shooting out to grab my neck. I yelped as he pushed me against the forest wall. The vines pressed into my back, tugging at my clothes and scratching my skin.

His blue-green eyes were gleaming as he stared down at me in shock. I watched him in disbelief as well. The familiarity was uncanny, unreal. My heart was racing, but not because he could have snapped my throat so easily, but because…

"Link?" I choked out in a whisper. His expression suddenly softened, his eyes scanning my face. He backed away suddenly and I grasped my neck to hopefully rub away the twinge of pain. He shook his head before making signs with his hands. I narrowed my eyes at him, "What are you…?" he continued before running a hand through his hair in a rush. I shook my head in confusion, not understanding at all what he was doing. "Are you Link?" I asked now, unsure. He stopped his fidgeting; his brawny yet slightly lean form a little daunting as he stared at me with a hopeless expression in his face. He nodded finally and I wondered why he wouldn't speak to me. There was that suspicious nag in my head, telling me what I thought might be the truth, but definitely something I didn't want to believe.

"Oh, you found him!" Zelda's voice was just a touch of silver breaking through the utter silence of the quiet forest.

"I, um…" Link looked a little dejected as he turned around to feign a smile.

"He must have been sneaking off, again." Zelda smiled, rolling her eyes and linking her arm through his. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked away, his smile fading as he pursed his lips.

"I, actually," I began, rubbing my arms and trying to get rid of the goose bumps, "Just found him walking around here."

Zelda smiled, glancing at her brother, "Well, thank you, Jade. We can talk more in the morning. I'm sure he would like to get rested." The boy shoved his hands in his pockets and hid back what looked to be a snarl. His eyes glinted in the dim light of the fireflies and lanterns and fairies as he glanced up at me. An unreadable expression was set behind his eyes. I couldn't figure out his plea.

They turned around and walked away, their boots making small pit-pats against the soft grass before reaching the path that led back into the small village.

I sighed, feeling disheartened for no particular reason. Turning once again to watch them disappear behind the foliage, I could see his eyes staring at me- still unreadable, still depressed, but with something else there that I thought I recognized. I hoped for him to recognize me, hoped for him to remember my face even though he had never really known me. His mouth was shut, his eyes alert. No, he didn't know me, but he thought he did.

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Hope you all liked! Thank you guys for the wonderful awesome reviews!

And look- no XxxxXxxxX throughuot the chappie:-D

And any questions will be explained soon enough. So hope you all stay posted!


	6. Kiss of Death

AU: I just had to update this chapter before I went on vacation. It was too much fun to write. Hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own LOZ or anything related to it, or CSI. Seeing All or Nothing

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 5: Kiss of Death

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I saw him in my dreams, again. The only difference was that I couldn't reach him. The more I called to him, the farther he ran away. He refused to look at me, refused to be near me. I called and I called, but he was too far- at a distance that I couldn't reach.

I broke out in a sweat as I woke. Cold sweat drenched my body and I had to crawl out of the safety of the cot in the tree house to breathe. I walked over to the wooden table in the middle of the room and sat down on one of the chairs. I chaffed under the warm clothes and rolled up my pants and sleeves. The candle set on the table was close to losing its flame; flickering dangerously as it reached the end of the wick, the wax melting into a liquid puddle around the orange flame.

A shadow suddenly caught my attention. It wavered past the table and towards the darkest corner near the closed doorway. I cocked my head in curiosity despite my fast-paced heart. I knew from experience there was someone there. For nights after I had woken up from the coma, I had always seen a glimmer of him somewhere near me. Only until we moved to San Francisco that he had stopped following. And now, I knew exactly whom I was staring at, but he resisted showing himself.

I called to him, as half-heartedly as I could manage. "You might as well step out of the shadows. There isn't any use for you to be hiding." I whispered, hoping my voice didn't show my fright and let him know what I was feeling. The shadow faltered slightly. I could see two dark, gleaming eyes staring back at me in near disarray.

After a moment of silence, he spoke quietly, his voice velvet and smooth; "I was hoping you hadn't noticed me." There was a tinge of amusement in his voice.

I leaned forward to rest my elbows on my knees, "It's a little too late for that." He sighed before stepping forward. His form materialized in the dim light; his shadow becoming human and so real. I gasped, forgetting how I had really adored his flawless skin and sharp features and disheveled, jet-black hair. "What are you doing here?" I managed to ask. His ruby red eyes were watching me curiously.

"I wanted to see you; make sure you weren't doing anything stupid." He replied calmly, cocking his head.

"If you consider sleeping something stupid." I remarked sarcastically.

He smirked innocently, "Do you enjoy Hyrule? I had decided to let you discover the place yourself completely, rather than let you dream about it."

"You used Nintendo's version." I said, watching him as he walked around the room with an expression of something that resembled admiration.

"I did, but the story of the Hero of Time has always been true." He finally sat down on the bed next to me. His eyes bored into mine and I looked away.

"But what am I doing here?" I asked him, "They didn't explain to us."

He furrowed his eyebrows when he heard the last word. He hesitated slightly, as if trying to bring out the words, "I guess you'll just have to ask them. They'll tell you more clearly what you have to do, but Jade…" I shook my head and turned to face him completely. He seemed shocked by my willingness to be closer to him, "Don't get too attached. I'm not the only one you can't exactly trust."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "What? What do you mean?"

He looked away, "Just- be on your guard, understand?"

I nodded a little uncertainly before changing the subject; "Fine, but I want _you_ to tell me. You didn't tell me everything, and I keep getting the feeling you don't want to." I said, watching him intently. He cast his eyes downward, sighing.

"My family is one of the very last of our kind," he began slowly, drawing out each word as if it was painful to remember, and maybe it was to him; "We have always been dying out slowly. People thought it was due to the fire or because we had to constantly be in the way of danger when protecting the royal family… But, our race has always been cursed. It was set by the goddesses. We were meant to be almost like secret agents for Gannon." He smiled, glancing up at me before continuing, "But the old man hadn't specified how he would use us to his advantage. Instead, we were created to protect the royal family."

I nodded in understanding, recognizing part of the story from the old games I had played.

"But, Gannon was enraged, and seduced the leader's wife. She was forced to obey him, and commanded her people to go against the royal family…"

"What happened to the leader?" I blurted out unintentionally. He smirked at my shocked face.

"I was getting to that," He said and I apologized. "After the royal family realized what was happening, they called to the goddesses to help them. The leader-" he glanced at me, "ran away that same night, knowing that he would be killed if he didn't flee from Gannon. Soon enough, when he reached the castle, he was met by the three goddesses. That was when they gave him the power to destroy the Sheikah race."

"Couldn't anyone take on that role?" I asked, "Why would they need a specific power?"

"Because Sheikah dwell in the shadows. They can't be destroyed." He replied.

"Even by light?" I countered, bewildered.

"If our shadow form can't help us, then our human form takes that place until there's darkness we can hide in." he watched me steadily as I processed the information. I grew uncomfortable under his gaze just as he continued. "The only thing that could suppress a Sheikah is the element of ice."

I narrowed my eyes, "Ice?"

"It has to be used correctly, and only this can completely stop a Sheikah long enough to kill. We can't disappear if the air is too cold." I opened my mouth to speak, but he continued to answer my otherwise unanswered question, "Heat only makes it easier."

"It's basic chemistry, isn't it?" I said in awe, "So, that means that you'd freeze."

"Without the movement of molecules, our own body can't move through the air. We'd be frozen with the ice until it's possible to reconstruct our body into a solid form." He lifted my chin up, closing my mouth as I gaped in complete horror.

"But does it kill you?" I asked a little hesitantly.

"Only if it's used correctly," he replied solemnly.

"But I killed you!" I said in utter mystification.

He smiled, "We can't be killed that easily. I didn't really care for that game, if you wanted the truth. I only did it to let you get to the point. I'm not a sucker for games as much as my brother is, however."

"Oh," I muttered, "So you could have avoided me stabbing you?"

He nodded, "I saw it coming even before you had the idea running through your head."

I scowled, "Wonderful. Why isn't your brother taking on the duty of killing me?" His eyebrows furrowed at that, as if it hurt when I stated the obvious of my possible future death.

He recovered and returned to his calm demeanor, "I had promised that I would let my brother live his life normally. He was already caught up in getting his life back in track after the car accident. I didn't know they would give the 'Gift' to a girl so young."

I narrowed my eyes, "I'm not that young."

He smirked.

"What car accident?" I questioned.

"He was in a drunk and driving accident when he let his wasted friend go behind the wheel. Luckily, he was passed out on the backseat when it happened. His friend went into a coma- sent to the same hospital as you, actually." I furrowed my eyebrows at that. "That's what made it easier to find you." I cringed, but decided not to think about it.

"Oh…" I shuddered, remembering all those driver's Ed videos we were forced to watch where they showed police and medics scooping up human remains on the asphalt. I decided I would change the subject as he shrugged. I didn't need to be reminded of the gruesome moments…gruesome…Grissom? I mentally kicked myself. It wasn't a time to think about that.

"It wasn't as if he would have been killed. It was hard dealing with his friend, though." I nodded in understanding.

"So, now, the curse is being passed on to me?" I questioned, returning to the main subject.

He nodded. "Every decade after the last Bearer is killed or passed on; a new one will rise and finish what the other didn't."

"They never finished." I said in bewilderment, "Then, what happened to the leader?"

He shook his head slightly before running a hand through his hair to rest at the back of his neck, "After nearly wiping out half of the Sheikah race and almost his wife, Gannon was forced to retreat to the desert before coming back centuries later as a reincarnated version of himself. That's when the old legends of the Hero took place. The leader was killed by his own cousin."

"And why have they chosen me, exactly?" I asked.

He shrugged, "The goddesses apparently have their own plan."

"And when you said I was just a random person by choice?" I voiced, my voice cracking slightly.

"I lied…?" he smiled sheepishly.

"You do that a lot." His smile turned into a wry smirk.

"I didn't want to give the real reason away so quickly." He replied, but it wasn't full of amusement, but honest sincerity. "I guess it was luck what happened to you- the coma. It would have been harder to explain the scar to the other humans." I grimaced when he referred to us that way. I had to remind myself he was no where near being a human.

"Oh…" I murmured. My shoulders slumped, tears ready to well from my eyes. I covered my face with my hands, refusing to look at the Sheikah in front of me. So, what? Did the goddesses think I wasn't capable of committing suicide?

His warm hand pressed against mine and I flinched. He sighed and leaned away.

"I don't want to do this," I said, my voice muffled.

"Neither do I." He whispered. I peered at him from in between my fingers.

"You don't?" I questioned, suddenly lost.

He shook his head, his eyes wide. His lips were pursed into a straight line before parting them to speak; "I don't want to kill you as much as you probably don't want to kill me."

"Then why did you make me try and hate you so much, and after…? I… It didn't make any sense." I shook my head and he placed a hand on my arm. I froze, feeling completely vulnerable.

"It was wrong to do what I did." He said dejectedly, "I didn't want you to hate me; I wanted you to feel the opposite, but I couldn't betray my family."

I sniffled, my nose tickling slightly as the tears finally welled up, "But, but how can I hate you? I don't feel any hate toward you, you know? I just feel confused when I'm around you."

He smiled sympathetically, "It was easy to keep you pining for questions, but I couldn't see you suffer so much, and I couldn't kill you when you were still innocent. My parents and Ryuichi wanted me to…" he stopped, looking away. I took hold of his arm and he turned to me once again, startled.

"To what?" I urged. The dim light of the dying candle was finally ceasing. I could see the reflection through his eyes.

"To kill you…when you were in the coma. Get it over with, they said." He finished quietly. I furrowed my eyebrows, feeling my heart rate accelerate but my body go numb.

"But they were nice." I tried to reassure myself.

"I made them that way. I didn't want you to know. I was holding back the truth for the longest time. All I did was make you go through hell." He snapped; his face slightly flushed from the anger.

"Well," I hesitated, knowing whatever he had said was true; "You had to." He pulled away from me and stood up fluidly.

"You don't get it, Jade." He said; his voice was dark but still smooth and clear. He turned around to face me as the light from the candle suddenly burnt out, leaving us in the complete darkness. I was cold, again; the outside wind blew in, but I tried to refocus my eyes. "I want you to hate me, Jade." His voice was directly in front of me. I jumped back slightly in my chair. I could barely distinguish his face in the darkness. "I want you to despise me. I want you to want to kill me. Do you understand?" His voice was frantic, pleading. He took hold of my hands with both of his and pressed them to the sides of his face. He was kneeling in front of me, I realized.

Was he begging?

There was a longing in his voice, in his own action as I took hold of his face and leaned down so that we were only a few inches apart.

"I can't hate you, Kenny." I whispered, "I can't despise you, and I can't want to kill you. I understand why you want me to; I understand why you have to do what you have to do, too. I understand- I really do." His hands tightened around mine and I curved my lips into a small smile.

"Jade, I don't want to hurt you, though." He said; his lips were so close. I focused on his dark eyes.

"I don't want to hurt you, either." I said with a small chuckle. It came out bitter, however. I could feel him frown, his eyebrows furrowing as well. "Just promise me one thing."

"What is it?" he asked, almost eager. His black hair tickled my forehead and a chill ran up my spine as I ran my thumb along his bottom lip.

"Promise me that it won't hurt, and you'll make it quick, too." He grew stiff under me. I had hurt him even more. There was no denying it, however. We were back to that last hope- like in the "dream."

He pressed his lips to mine. It was agonizingly mournful- like the kiss of death. I wondered if he was playing me, again, making me feel for him so that it'd be easier to kill me.

He parted from me. My heart was racing as he brushed his hand across my forehead to place a stray strand of hair behind my ear. A slow, agonizing smile spread across his face, but his expression was still somber, regretful.

"I promise."

His answer washed away the dreadful question.

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Jade is just in between guys right now, so don't get too confused. Well, Jade's confused, but you know- when isn't she? Eheh, hope this chapter cleared up Kenny's intentions. And he was actually being sincere, in case you thought he was still acting like the jerk he was in the last story. And look! JadexKenny fluff!

P.S The whole ice thing was my idea. I'm not an expert in chemistry or anatomy or any science for that matter so just work with my here. Lol.

And thank you guys for all the awesome reviews! You guys really keep me going with this story and y'all are just so awesome:-D


	7. Unspoken

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 6: Unspoken

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If I had known it was going to be this hard to deal with my own fate, then I probably would have tried harder to keep myself in a coma. There were things that happened here that my mind just couldn't process any longer. The more time I spent gazing out the window of the tree house, watching the fairies fly and see the ageless children play I began to realize that this was happening so close to my real home. I had been kidnapped and brought to the real Hyrule. There was no different world, or different dimension.

My parents would probably be waking up right now to realize I was missing. My sister would probably be in hysterics and my mother- I couldn't imagine what she was going through, or what my dad would even be thinking. I would never be able to go anywhere after this, I realized.

There was a knock on the wooden doorway. I snapped my head in the direction of where the familiar brunette stood. He was wearing his jeans, again. Neus told me they had washed and dried them for us in the morning when we decided to sleep in. I still had to change out of my nightclothes.

"Good morning," I said with a small smile. Kado smiled wearily and stepped inside. His sneakers were dry, too. I had forgotten to leave mine outside so they were most likely still damp.

"To you too," he sighed; plopping down on the same wooden chair I had been using the night before.

"You look like crap," I commented, walking over to him and sitting on my bed.

He glanced at me from the corner of his eyes and retorted, "Thanks."

"I should be the one thanking you," I blurted out. He turned to face me curiously.

"For what exactly?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

My cheeks flushed and I fidgeted, "For saving me last night…you know? In the tunnel?" I felt uncomfortable just by talking to him.

"Oh," he ran a hand through his hair, "It was nothing, really."

"Nothing?" I repeated in shock, furrowing my eyebrows at him.

He smirked, "Honestly, I thought you would rather have me than Zeus kissing you." My eyes widened before laughing.

"Yeah, I guess so. That would have been really awkward." I admitted.

I wasn't sure whom I was betraying anymore: Kenny, or Kado.

"Neus is fixing us breakfast." He said, changing the subject before running a hand through his disheveled chestnut-colored hair. His eyes were half-closed, dark circles shadowing them as if he hadn't had enough sleep. I didn't doubt it.

"She's really nice." I commented, trying to start small talk.

He nodded, "They all are. I haven't known of many kidnappers being polite."

I laughed, "Neither have I." I slumped my shoulders soon after, "I'm sorry for dragging you into this. You weren't exactly supposed to be there."

"And you were?" he asked skeptically, his tone serious.

I rubbed my arms, feeling my fingers going numb from the cold.

"I, you weren't…" I stuttered before glaring at him, "You just don't understand."

He looked curious now, turning around in his seat to give me his full attention. "Then explain to me."

I sighed, "It's none of your business." He narrowed his eyes into slits, growing impatient and ready to snap back when Neus appeared in the doorway. Her sugar white tunic looked as though it were reflecting the sun. I could see her dragon fly wings twitching in the light, making her sparkle.

"Come on, you two," she said with a smile. Satu was hovering above her head anxiously, mumbling something that sounded like, "I'm hungry, I want food, I'm hungry…" Neus frowned slightly once her attention turned to me. "What are you waiting for? Get dressed! Saria made pancakes." She left gracefully with the hungry midget fairy following.

"Oh, well," I sighed and reached for my jeans. Kado continued to sit there. I furrowed my eyebrows, "Do you mind? I'm trying to change."

He pursed his lips in thought. "Promise me you'll give me an explanation afterwards."

"Or else?" I lifted an eyebrow.

He smirked, "Or else I'll sit here and refuse to move."

"Good," I scoffed, "Don't move your head." He glared, knowing his threat hadn't worked exactly according to plan. I sighed, "Fine."

He smiled and stood up; "Thank you."

I shrugged, "Well, I suppose you need an explanation."

"You think?" he retorted, walking slowly to the door. I smiled sheepishly before grabbing the cot's pillow and throwing it at him. He barely dodged it.

"Now, get out."

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The entire time I couldn't stop myself from taking secret glances at the quiet, blue-eyed boy sitting across from me in the table of five. It included Neus, the green-haired girl known always as Saria, Zelda, Kado, the blue-eyed boy, and me. Satu and Saria's fairy, Taliba, were sitting on the bed and conversing. They're voices sounded like bells chiming every time they laughed. I ate my pancakes slowly, too, just so I could take in all the foreign things happening. The food was delicious, but it seemed as if right when it entered my mouth it would go cold.

I lost my appetite half way through eating the toast.

"The Great Deku Tree and the shaman would like to see you this evening, Jade." Saria gained my attention and I lifted my eyebrows. Her tone was benevolent- maybe a little too benevolent.

"The shaman?" I voiced. I had never heard of their being a shaman.

"Yes," she nodded, her dark green eyes alight, "He came all the way from Kakariko Village to speak to you."

"Oh," I played with the syrup on the ceramic plate, the fork making small scraping sounds against the surface.

"You won't be alone, you know?" Neus chimed in, as if she knew what I was worrying over. "We brought you here because we knew we couldn't let you ravage on in your state with all the humans around."

"And how did you know where to find me?" I asked.

Saria smiled, "Fairies have a sixth sense. They can always find a person despite being across the ocean. It took a while, of course." I didn't bother to ask about it. I wasn't in the mood to worry about sixth senses and whatnot.

Zelda's brother was watching me intently. I refused to look at him anymore. I wasn't sure who he was, or why he even cared about this enough to be watching me in a way that crossed enthrallment and curiosity. His good looks alone were driving me crazy.

Was it healthy to have this many fascinating guys in my life?

"Thank you for everything." An idea suddenly popped in my head and I practically beamed at this, wondering why I hadn't thought of it before. I refused to let Kado get involved and even though _he_ refused to not be uninvolved I wasn't about to let him go through hell just because of me- a mere friend in hardly a day. And friends wouldn't want to let other friends get hurt, right? "Neus," I began, placing my fork on the side of the plate and folding my hands in front of me, "Would it be possible to return home after this?"

She thought for a moment, and I knew from her expression she had been expecting me to ask if I could return. But, the difference in this case was that I wasn't talking about myself. "I hope you choose to stay, Jade. We didn't bring you hear as a hostage, but rather to help you." _So, you had Ariella punch me?_

"And what I'm going through is dangerous, right?" I questioned.

She cocked her head, "It would be best to stay here, and away from the humans until you understand exactly what's happening. So, yeah." Her tone was a little wary, as if she was about ready to try and convince me no matter how long it took.

"I think I know what's happening," I nodded, "And I know it's dangerous for the humans, too." I could see Kado glaring at me from where he sat beside me. He was gripping his fork a little too tightly in his own alarm. I couldn't help the smirk that crossed my lips.

"Everything will be explained soon, so don't worry, Jade." Zelda tried to reassure me, but her voice sounded distant, as if she were on a different page than I was. The thought worried me, but they still probably thought I was worried about myself. I wanted to laugh. Sure, I was a little freaked by what might happen to me when the scar "reached it's full extent", but other than that I knew what I had to do- so far.

"And what about Kado?" I asked. The said brunette dropped his fork and glowered at me fiercely. "I think he should go back to San Francisco. It's too dangerous, right?" Zelda's eyes widened and Neus looked thoughtful. Saria and Link were both watching Kado glaring daggers at me.

"He can return, if you wish." Zelda replied with a slight nod. Her composure was awe-inspiring as she cut her food so gracefully I never thought anyone could possible manage. Of course, I had to remind myself we were surrounding ourselves with Hylians that had the pointy ears and goddesses-gifted magic.

"I do, actually." I replied as smoothly as I could manage.

"You promised me, Jade." I heard Kado sneer; he was obviously exasperated.

I turned to him as coolly as I could administer, trying not to cower from the incensed eyes that were boring me to the ground. "I promised to explain everything to you, not that I would let you stay with me."

"It's my choice if I want to stay or not," he retorted, his jaw set.

"And it'll be my hands in your blood if something bad happens to you." I countered, "I'm not letting you into this." He stared at me for a few seconds before skidding his chair away and standing. He was out the door in less than five seconds. I inhaled deeply the smell of fresh pancakes and blueberry toast and slumped in my chair, completely miserable. I felt sick.

"You did what you had to do," Zelda said softly, her voice still somehow unyielding. I glanced over to her brother rather than to the other two giving me sympathetic looks. He wasn't trying to look into my eyes, however, but merely staring at my arm in unspoken awe. I looked down and stretched out my fingers, lifting my arm slightly and watching the scar merely inches from the middle of the back of my hand. I wondered how far it would go.

"What do I do, now?" I asked.

Before Zelda could answer, the blonde tapped her arm and she snapped her head his direction, her golden Triforce earrings swaying back and forth. He quickly began his sudden hand gestures, and some were the same he had done the night before. She frowned slightly and shook her head. He furrowed his eyebrows angrily before standing and storming out of the room.

Zelda sighed. "Oh, goddesses, help him."

"You don't allow him to leave the forest, Zel'." Saria said, "He feels as though he's in exile."

"It's too dangerous." She countered, "What if he needs help?"

"He has his ocarina," Neus offered. Zelda glared at her with her sapphire eyes.

"I'm just worried." She pondered, placing her elbows on the table and sighing. It wasn't anything I had seen the former princess do. It was so simple, ordinary- her head resting in the palms of her hands.

"What's his name?" I said, but most likely knowing the answer.

"Link." Saria offered. "He can't speak- a disorder that skips every generation in his family. It's been plaguing him more than it should. "

I nodded in understanding before sitting up, "Thank you for the breakfast, but if it's all right I think I'll just explore." They smiled, their eyes a little watchful as I left the small house quickly and quietly.

Kado sat under a tree, his head resting on his hands as he leaned back onto the trunk of the large oak tree. I avoided him and continued walking. After constantly looking back and forth and side to side and behind large trees, I found the sandy blonde head of hair I had been searching for.

He was lying down on his back under an oak tree. His eyes were scanning here and there, as if searching for something up in the leaves that were impossible to see.

"May I join you?" I asked as politely as I could manage. His eyes flickered to me and he sat up suddenly and nodded. I tried not to focus on his eyes and rather on his moss green sweatshirt. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and there was a white shirt underneath.

He smiled politely before crooking his knees and balancing his elbows on them with his hands clapped together.

I wanted to say something to him, but how could I just go out and blurt, "Oh, yeah, I've met someone exactly like you, but he could talk." It was infuriating! My tongue was tied.

He tapped my shoulder and I watched him as he made signs again with his hand. They were nearly the same ones that he had signed last night, but this time it was slower. I gave him a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry. I don't read sign language." It sounded sorrowful. And it was exactly how I was feeling.

He stopped and glanced off for a few seconds before lighting up once again. He leaned up slightly and pulled something out of his back pocket. Only when he started scribbling on the piece of paper I realized it was a pencil and small memo book. I wanted to smack my forehead for being slow.

He turned to me and showed me what he had written: _I'm really sorry for attacking you like that last night._ It was clear, precise, and in a near perfect scrawl.

I smiled, ready to write but realized he wasn't deaf. "That's all right. I kind of sneaked up on you, anyway." He smiled before writing down something again and showing it to me.

_That's good to know. I was getting frustrated that I couldn't speak to you._

"You wanted to talk to me?" I asked, slightly bewildered.

It took a little longer to write the note, flipping the page and writing on the back of the previous one. _I've __wanted__ to talk to you since I saw you. You look familiar, but Zelda wouldn't let me near you. She says you're dangerous._ I sighed, feeling my shoulders slump in hopelessness for about the third time that day.

"She's right, you know?" I said sadly. He furrowed his eyebrows.

This time he nearly shoved the notepad in my lap and stood up before I could finish reading. _How can you say that? You sound like my sister! She tells me everything is dangerous, and I can't leave this damned forest because of my safety. I love the place, but I feel like it's become my prison. Are you going to shove me away, as well?_

I could feel the sorrow welling up for him. I hadn't realized it was so bad for him. "I'm sorry, Link, I- I didn't mean it like that." He paced back and forth on the grass, his boots shuffling and his hands shoved in his pockets. He wouldn't meet my gaze. "Believe me," I continued, "I wish things were different, but I hardly even know what I'm capable of- or at least am going to _be_ capable of… I just can't stand letting you or Kado or anyone else get hurt. It feels like I've already known you for so long." He stopped walking, his eyes now focused on me completely before reaching toward me with his hand. I realized he wanted the memo pad and I handed it to him.

He took the pad with one hand but quickly grabbed my hand with his other before I could lower it. I yelped as he pulled me up swiftly and nearly into him. He caught and steadied me. I flushed with embarrassment, but he was already leading me farther into the forest and away from the small village.

I wanted to ask him where we were going, but there was no use when he couldn't exactly answer me when he was running and half-dragging me down the dirt path covered in moss and vines and leaves and pine cones.

This time around, I was seeing my breath in the air coming out in small puffs in front of me. I couldn't say I was getting accustomed to the cold, but I was becoming used to the numb fingers and toes and nose.

My leather-fashioned boots caught on a root sticking up from the ground and I yelped in surprise, tumbling forward and taking Link with me. He gasped and hit the ground. I had the feeling of déjà vu in my mind, remembering how the same thing had happened with Kado the day before. It was disturbing yet fascinating that so much had changed so quickly in such little time.

He gazed up at me and I could feel my cheeks flushing despite the coldness stirring more and more inside me.

"I'm so sorry," I said, trying to squirm off of him, "I just keep falling over people lately." He smiled wryly, something I had been so familiar with before. He gently pushed me off of him, but managed to keep hold of my hand as he scribbled something onto the memo pad before showing it to me.

_I don't think you're dangerous._

I laughed, feeling relieved, "Except when you get a little too close. I might fall on you."

He smiled and I pulled away from his hand. He didn't protest and I wondered why he had before.

To make a point, maybe? To make me believe that even being so close to him- he felt no threat from me?

It made my heart race even more.

I was in deeper shit than I had thought.

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Action _will_ be apart of this story, of course. I thought I'd give more to the characters and some more internal conflict to continue. And more KadoxJade later on.

And thank you all for the reading and reviewing!


	8. Prisoner

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 7: Prisoner

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We sat in the small meadow in silence, revering in the tall canopies and fireflies to the stone structures of the pedestal and the rubbish that was left from the stairway that led to the Forest Temple. He was staring off into the dark passage, his gaze contemplative. I was tempted to bother him, but hindered and looked away.

Zelda knew less about her brother than I did. He had gone exactly where she thought he wouldn't, which was a little nerve-wracking. How well did they even know each other?

There was a tap on my shoulder and I turned to face Link. I had been too busy in my own thoughts to notice he had written something down.

_How old are you?_ He had scrawled.

"Sixteen…" I furrowed my eyebrows, forgetting for a moment, "Yeah, sixteen. My mind's been a little screwed up lately, sorry." Smiling apologetically, he nodded in response before returning to the notepad.

I'm seventeen, but it seems like I'm older.

"Why is that?" I asked curiously.

He shrugged. _I've been around ten year olds my entire life._

"I'm sorry," I bit my lip to hold back a laugh. He still smiled despite my lack of sincerity at the moment. Hell, it was still cool to live with the Kokiri. Way better than human life.

There was another wave of silence that followed before he caught my attention once again.

_Have you ever been to the Forest Temple?_ He asked.

I shook my head, "Never had a chance to. What about you?"

He shook his head as well, his eyebrows furrowing. He then wrote something again and showed me: _I don't have the hook shot my ancestor used. Climbing a tree isn't at all what it's cracked up to be._

I laughed. "I guess not. I wonder what happened to all of those weapons."

He shrugged. _Who knows?_

After a few minutes of peaceful silence, laying on the soft earth and letting the cool air freeze me to the bone, I had the need to ask him something. I just hoped he wouldn't get offended.

"Link?" He craned his neck to watch me curiously. I focused on how the wind swayed his blonde locks. "Do you know of anyone…who might be…you know- considered dangerous? I mean, other than me."

He narrowed his eyes for that brief second when I mentioned myself before grabbing the notepad and pencil that had been set on the ground between us.

_No. Any enemies in Hyrule have been placed in the prison in the valley._

"Oh," I murmured, furrowing my eyebrows.

_Why?_

I shook my head, sighing. He continued to gaze at me broodingly. I doubted he would back away. I shrugged slightly before turning to my side to face him completely, "Do you promise to keep a secret?"

He nodded and I reached out my hand, pinkie finger stretched.

"Pinkie promise?" he furrowed his eyebrows at my hand and opened his mouth as if to say, "What?" I sighed and took hold of his free hand and interlocked our pinkies. "Okay, I'll tell you, anyway."

He smiled despite the confusion and turned onto his side as well.

"I don't really know how to begin…" I hesitated slightly, "Well, you see…um… Do you know why I came here?"

He thought for a moment before writing something on the notepad.

_Zelda didn't come to see me, if that means anything. I've heard things here and there, but she refuses to let me in on it. Having a twin sucks._

I chuckled, "All right. And you want to know?"

He nodded furiously and I smiled.

"But you have to promise not to let anyone else know that you know what I know, got it?"

And he nodded again, his smile spreading.

"Cool."

XxxxXxxxX

I found Kado sitting under Link's tree house, his back leaning against the trunk of the tree. He looked distant, but nothing compared to being angry. I wondered what my sudden presence in front of him would do.

"What do you want?" He growled, snapping out of his thoughts to glare at me. I shoved my hands in my pockets, resisting folding my arms across my chest and stepping away from his penetrating gaze.

"I wanted to say that I was…um…" I cleared my throat as my voice caught, "I wanted to say that I was…sorry."

He narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously, "Why the sudden change?"

I bit my lip before replying; "I talked with Link, and I… He explained to me what it was like- to not make his own decisions, you know? How Zelda was depriving him of getting out and away…and I realized how you were probably feeling."

His expression softened but his voice was still stern and dripping with sarcasm, "It took you all of that to understand?"

I crinkled my nose in irritation, but otherwise bit back my remark. "Yeah, it's just that I wish you could understand how _I_ feel…you did before…" The last part hadn't been meant for him to hear.

"You're wrong, Jade," he muttered before standing up, "I never felt that way for you before." I mentally kicked myself for letting him hear the end of my sentence.

"It wasn't you, I know." I retorted, turning around and walking away. I heard his footsteps against the earthen ground as he followed.

"But, I'm beginning to feel what you talked about," he continued. I swirled around to face him just in time for him to stop in his tracks.

"They're just dreams," I said, "Why does it matter anymore?"

He took hold of my arms and smiled, "Because every night it's like I'm getting to know you more and more."

I turned away, "And I don't know whether to thank Kenny or not for that one." From the corner of my eyes I saw him furrow his eyebrows in contemplation.

"I think thanking him would be most appropriate," he whispered just as a group of Kokiri ran past us, giggling as they went along.

I glanced up at him, meeting his gaze. There was something different about him, something familiar that I hadn't seen in the longest time.

Maybe thanking Kenny _would_ be the best, but why- why after all that he had told me the night before, had he decided to give me Kado back? Was he trying to say something to me? Was he giving me a second chance, or what?

I looked away, feeling resentment toward the Sheikah that continued to confuse me to no end. I wanted to speak with him, again. But, I wasn't sure if he would listen or even come near me without a katana unsheathed.

"I don't want to lose you, again." I admitted quietly, wrapping my arms around me for comfort and a little warmth. "I don't care if you don't feel the same way, but I'd like to know that you're safe." A small smirk lighted his features as I glanced up at him. I thanked God that he wasn't angry with me anymore.

XxxxXxxxX

Admittedly, I had set up good ground with all of them: Link, Kenny, and Kado. And, so what? One was a mute hero with growing resentment toward the forest, and his only way out was me. One was beginning to get closer to me, like we were going through all those familiar steps over again. The only difference there was, well, he wasn't playing a sick joke and marriage wasn't involved at the moment. I was happy about that one. And lastly, there was the one that was planning to kill me whether he liked it or not. Oddly enough, he didn't want to kill me; he had _never_ wanted to kill me. Figures, right?

After much contemplating from everything that he had told me, I could assume well and clear that –like he had said- the dream had merely been a "crash course", so to speak. He couldn't bear to kill me when I was so innocent, naïve, unprepared, and completely unaware of what I was meant to do. He wanted me to prepare for the trials, the humiliation and degradation, the misery of loss, and my own demise. He also wanted to make me hate him, and for failing in that area- he was at a loss as well.

He had come off as the quiet, mischievous Sheikah to the friendly, mysterious Sheikah to the irritating, seductive, mentally challenged Sheikah. But now, I realized, he wasn't any of those. Okay, maybe he was mysterious, and mischievous, and seductive, and not to mention irritating…but he wasn't insane… That's what I thought, anyway.

He knew what he had been doing all along- right from the start, the one running the show.

I was just a little peeved that he might be running the show still.

XxxxXxxxX

The Great Deku Tree was an unusually tall, skinny, towering oak tree with roots that spread throughout the far corners of the deep forest. His dark bark was rough and alive with insects. Fireflies peeked out of the long branches, swaying the foliage and dusting the earth with fine twigs and dried leaves.

A small boy with red hair was sitting on one of the lower branches. He was playing a quick melody with the wooden flute in his hand. He hardly acknowledged us as we entered the grove. I narrowed my eyes at the boy, wondering if the tree felt any antipathy for being used as a chair, quite ironically if humans wanted to tear the old tree down and make furniture out of it.

I squinted, trying to maybe make out a moustache and lips and eyes and a nose on the bark of the tree. But there were only the twisted knots of the large branches that entwined with the trunk, running upwards to spread out and create a canopy over the earthen floor.

Neus's laughter filled the grove as she practically danced over to the tree, her hair swaying and her clothes waving in the wind. I could imagine how jealous my old ballerina teacher would feel if she saw this.

"Oh, Remus will be so pleased about this, Great Deku Tree." She cooed, holding her hand out and brushing the bark.

Kado was watching in utter bewilderment, and a little bit of fright. He then glanced at me and I shrugged, confused as well.

I waited for the tree to speak, but he didn't; he hardly even moved. Was it a hoax?

"You two look as though you're waiting for something." Neus pondered, her fairy wings fluttering slightly. She made her way toward us with a graceful walk I couldn't imagine anyone could possibly ever make.

"Isn't it- he, I mean," I hesitated, "Supposed to talk…?"

She smiled, her perfect teeth gleaming, "This isn't the same world- you have to remember, Jade. The Great Deku Tree doesn't talk."

I raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "Then what does he do?" The corner of her lips twitched downward, and I was ashamed suddenly for questioning the Great Deku Tree.

But just as her expression had faltered, it had returned to the gleaming expression before, her eyes bright; "He's been watching over the forest and it's inhabitants for ages after the ancient one withered away. His roots stretch all the way across the forest, protecting it from any harm and clinging to the roots of the previous one for strength."

"Wow," I breathed.

Kado was more speechless than I was. I didn't blame him. He hadn't been the Legend of Zelda freak like I had been.

"Neus," I jumped, hearing the rough voice call from the outskirts of the grove.

"Remus," Neus said, quickly walking over to a hunched figure standing near a small group of ferns that sprung out from the soil, "Come on, you have to meet Jade."

The shaman- and I knew he had to be the shaman due to his appearance, had long, gray hair with two braids at the front and half of the back pulled into a low ponytail. His eyes were a dark brown, wise; his skin was dark and worn and creased with wrinkles and dotted with small freckles. His Native-American style clothing with the colorful patterns woven into the edges and leather-fashioned boots were trekked with patches of grass stains and dirt tracks.

"What happened to your clothes?" Neus asked, suddenly worried once she saw him in the light.

He smiled sheepishly, the laugh lines around his eyes creasing farther, "The children wanted to wrestle."

Neus gasped, "They didn't gang up on you, did they?"

He laughed, his voice was worn but otherwise light, "No, I beat Mido hands behind my back." I smiled nervously, glancing nonchalantly at the red-haired boy still sitting on the lower branches of the Great Deku Tree. I could barely recognize a grimace in his expression.

Turning back to the shaman, I realized he was watching me, and his face had lost all the glee to be replaced with a stern yet awestruck expression. I cowered away slightly, feeling a chill run up my spine.

"You have a very dim future ahead of you," he said in a low whisper and I watched him wide-eyed. "Do you know what you have been chosen to do?"

I nodded numbly, slightly afraid to answer.

"But you've been neglecting it." He continued. I furrowed my eyebrows, confused. "You need to accept what you are, but without giving in to your ability, it has been making you more vulnerable."

He was making absolutely no sense.

"What do you mean?" I was a little surprised to hear Kado speak up. But his voice didn't carry any resentment or disrespect; it was merely edged with curiosity.

The shaman smiled at him before returning to look at me, "You are cold." Not a question, definitely.

"Yes, I am." I murmured before biting my lip.

"And you have been trying to keep warm." Again, it wasn't a question. Was I not supposed to try and keep myself from freezing to death? "You need to let it overtake you."

My eyes widened in utter disbelief when the words sunk in. I babbled, "What? Why? How? What for?"

He seemed amused, but his wisdom was wisely apart of it. "To let the magic overtake you. You can't fight it, dear. The scar will reach its full course by nightfall, and it will be harder to resist the cold."

"So," my voice was dripping with sarcasm, "I have to just let my body freeze to death?"

He grinned toothily. He was a happier shaman than I had imagined. "Yep."

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Heh, I like the shaman. xD Sorry, for it being so short. Is it forgivable at least, since I've been updating this story a little quicker?

And I updated earlier because I thought it would be kewl to give you guys another chappie on my b-day! So…happy b-day!! Hahah.

And also expect for updates to slow by next week since I'm starting school, so don't be thumped.

Oh, and thank you all for those awesome reviews! Yah, I don't know what's going on with fanfiction lately. I had trouble checking the reviews for chapter 7.

Sir Lowell- heh, I wish I drew that Jack Sparrow, but that belongs to the person at photo bucket that I downloaded from. Hahah. But, I do have sketches at deviantart. But thank you for the koolio review. xD

So, to anyone who is interested, I've updated more pics. They aren't great, but a few shows Jade's scar and what it's supposed to look like exactly. So, knock yourself out while the crappy art lasts.

Lindadoodle- yep, I think fanfiction is just being stupid lately. Hopefully, it works now so you can check it out. And thankie!

True Blue- haha, yup yup. And even more after this chappie. Gracias!

From now on I'll only be replying here to those awesome anonymous reviewers here and PMing those more awesome member reviewers.

Until next time!


	9. Ice Queen

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 8: Ice Queen

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The cold was beginning to become a nuisance. Even now people were walking around me at a five-foot radius, refusing to be any closer to me. I was radiating so much coldness that it was as if I had become the ice queen…literally. Everything I touched would go cold. The grass under my fingers would stick up like invisible frost had gathered on the soil.

Yeah, the scar had definitely reached its point across my body. It spread out from my back, two tendrils stretching at the back of my neck, two across my shoulder; one elongating and wrapping in a spiral down my left arm just like my right arm. The back part stretched to the side of my back, wrapping slightly around my abdomen before plunging down my leg.

It was the scariest and crappiest thing I had ever seen. And not to mention that it was as if the entirety of the scarred tissue was being inked in black, slowly edging more and more and covering the scar in what looked to be a tattoo. My parents would go out of their minds if they saw this, which gave me another reason not to go back.

I looked like a friggin' tribal leader…! Only colder…!

Kado was sitting up on the balcony on Link's tree house. From what I could tell, he seemed really out of it- deep in thought, pensive… He was grimacing slightly, and his eyebrows were furrowed. Oh, yeah, he was in thought.

…No doubt trying to avoid my palpably cold presence. I didn't blame him. If I was cold, then no doubt that the air around me was going to evaporate into the same thing. I shrugged, thinking maybe if I bothered him enough he would want to return home…Hah!

"What are you doing up there?" I called. He glanced down at me, his expression suddenly changing to a fake smile. He waved for me to join him. I complied, feeling no reason not to.

I kept a good distance away from him, making sure my air of icy glow didn't emanate onto him. Well, maybe I would do that later- considering that I wanted him out of here.

"What were you thinking about?" I asked, raising my eyebrows in curiosity.

He shrugged innocently, "Nothing."

I grimaced, "You looked like you were. What's wrong?"

He furrowed his eyebrows, "Can't you just leave it alone."

"Nope," I chirped with a small smile, "Tell me."

"No," he replied solemnly.

This time, I gazed at him wryly, "I'll sit closer to you, and you'll be very cold."

He chuckled darkly, "And you think that's going to scare me."

I shook my head enthusiastically, "Oui, Mon Cher." He smiled suddenly, realizing that I'd used his line to address him.

He shook his head, "Well, it isn't going to work."

"Why not?" I pouted absentmindedly and slumping my shoulders. The cold didn't feel so bad, now. It was exactly how I was beginning to feel.

"Because I promised you that I wouldn't leave." He said, averting his gaze to the treetops above.

"You promised me?" I asked incredulously.

He shrugged, "Maybe- I can't remember." I laughed suddenly and he watched me in amusement.

"Smooth." I said, watching the fireflies fly by, lighting the night darkness briefly.

We were silent after that. It wasn't exactly awkward, but it wasn't comforting either. I could only think of the shaman's words and Kenny's as well. I didn't like it very much.

There were footsteps underneath and I leaned forward to glance beyond the railing to the forest floor. Link was shuffling toward the house. His hair was frazzled and he seemed dazed.

"Hey!" I called as quietly as I could manage, afraid to wake the sleeping Kokiri children.

Twilight had long since passed, but the night was still new.

Link snapped his head upward and the expression on his face seemed to lighten considerably. He waved and I returned the gesture. Kado half-heartedly nodded, lost back into his thoughts. I scowled; ready to snap at him at his lack of interest in this world, but then again- it could have been the complete opposite.

He climbed up the stairs and I gave him room to sit down beside me. I watched as he took out his memo pad and pencil and I leaned in, curious as to what he was going to write. From the corner of my eye, I could see Kado watching as well.

_Good evening_, he wrote.

I smiled, "To you, too. Was Zelda looking all over for you, again?"

He scowled slightly and scribbled again on the memo pad, _for every day that she 'visits'._

"Why don't you live in the castle with her?" I had been waiting to ask the question at the right moment. It seemed all right.

He shook his head and replied, _and be treated like I can't do anything for myself?_

"I think it would be a nice change from my life." I shrugged. My gaze flickered to his lips and I froze. A tint of blue glowed, painting his lips and his cheekbones ever so slightly.

He was cold.

_I_ was making him cold.

I could see my reflection in his eyes; the lantern hanging from the branch of the tree illuminated it even more. I looked away, horrified. "I have to go- I'm so sorry." He furrowed his eyebrows.

I didn't bother to wait as he dropped the notepad and pencil to wave his hands, trying to get me to stop. Kado was merely watching in confusion. I didn't blame either of them, but I didn't tell them that, or add to my anxious moment a reason to suffice an explanation.

I was the ice queen, after all.

XxxxXxxxX

It was like someone had taken a paintbrush, dipped it in black paint, and drawn all over me, covering my scar in the inky blackness. It sent chills up my spine just thinking about it- the reason it was there, the reason why any of it had even come to be.

Maybe it was luck that I was in a coma, to not have to endure those years of even further torture, seeing the scar grow more and more and drive me farther into lunacy. Who knows what could have happened if Kenny had only come in my dreams, leaving me to wonder if any of it was real through the entire ordeal. So, maybe, either way I would have gone to a psychiatric ward. I didn't doubt it.

I sighed, plopping down on the cot I had been allowed to sleep on. The mattress went cold under me- I was sure, but I didn't really feel it. It was easy to assume it, however.

A few minutes passed that way, the only light came from the candle in the middle of the table and the only sounds were the ones of the crickets chirping, and the breeze swaying the leaves outside. It was peaceful, to say the least. Life was still moving on, without this ordeal or not.

It could have lasted- I supposed, all the quiet was relieving, but it didn't. There was a knock on the doorway and I dully invited the person in. The curtains from the doorway swayed as the person entered and I watched from the corner of my eyes.

"Jade?" It was Kado.

"What?" I grimaced, looking away.

"I… I wanted to…"

"Just spit it out," I griped when he trailed off, ready to send him away from all the annoyance he was causing me. Not in a bad way, of course. I wasn't really angry with him. Just angry…if that made any sense.

He sighed, "I got this message today…" I lolled my head to the side to watch him curiously. He was holding out his cell phone.

"How did your phone survive the water?" I asked, bewildered.

"All right," he plopped down on the wooden chair farthest from me, "I got it a little before we were…kidnapped." I smiled at the thought. It had only been yesterday.

"Okay," I continued, drawing out the word, "What's your point?"

"It was from my…" he averted his gaze, hesitating, "My ex…" Oh, I was definitely interested now.

"And…?" I urged him on, turning to my side and propping my elbow on the bed so that I could rest my head in my hand.

"She's visiting San Francisco and she should be here- or there, by now." He shuffled in the chair and I cocked an eyebrow.

"Should I care about this?" I inquired, wondering as to where this was going.

"She wants to get back together." I laughed suddenly, without realizing what I was doing. He narrowed his eyes at me and I quickly covered my mouth to muffle the noise.

I cleared my throat once I had died down my laughter. "Sorry."

"Anyway…"

"And you want to see her?" I interjected, leaning forward slightly.

He nodded slightly, looking away once again.

"So, you want to return to San Francisco?"

"Yeah," he murmured, "But not for long…"

This was all too perfect in a way that tore out my heart despite my outer reaction. So, had he come to that beach last night because of me…or because of her?

"Fine, then." I said, surprising even myself at my utter calmness.

I stood up swiftly and walked to where I had tossed my sneakers.

"I want you to know that I'm still coming with you, right?" he said, standing up as well.

"To where?" I questioned. "We have no where to go. This is between Kenny and me. I don't understand why people think I have to go on this huge quest." This was getting irritating. "You are going to go home," I spoke slowly, "Get back with your ex, get on with your life, become some pro soccer player and play at the Fifa World Cup, get rich, get married, have kids, and lead a nice, promising life." He was glaring at me. I wondered what he would have looked like if I had given him the rated R version of his life in my eyes.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" he said.

I turned away from him, smirking. "No, I'm just the ice queen."

XxxxXxxxX

"Why in the middle of the night?" Ariella continued to growl, her voice muffled with utter exhaustion.

"Because Kado wants to go home." I muttered and glared at the brunette who looked equally pissed off as I did.

"Of course, the human." I heard her say before turning to face him, "Do you promise to keep our lives a secret?"

He furrowed his eyebrows for a split second before replying, "Of course."

"Good," she said with a half-hearted smile, "But it's not like people would believe you anyway."

"All right!" Zeus called as his head peeked from above the lake's water. It was dark, choppy. I was a little afraid to get in. "We're ready!" he said and I made my way over to the water.

I glanced down at my sneakers and grimaced. There was no point to get them soggy again. So, I flicked them off and jumped in without another moment of hesitation- to my surprise. I could hear Zeus laughing as I resurfaced.

"A little eager?" he joked as I sputtered out the salty water from my mouth, nearly gagging. He took a hold of my wrist without waiting for Kado or Ariella and swam toward the rock wall.

"Hold your breath," he said, "I'll get out of the water as fast as I can before you can freeze the water and us in it." I narrowed my eyes at his joke, but otherwise took a deep breath and held it.

The cold water once again encircled us as he dove under, dragging me along with him. My ears popped just as we reached the rocky opening into the tunnel. The kelp wavered precariously and I strained my eyes just to avoid being caught in them as we flashed through the tunnel at an uncanny speed.

Déjà vu, maybe… But I felt like time was repeating itself, but backwards. We were going back, and there was no way to stop it.

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Another chappie done. Hope you all enjoyed!

And thank you all to the awesome reviews!! You guys are great!

True Blue- thank you! Gah, school uniforms. That sucks. I know how you feel. XP lol.

Lindadoodle- no problemo. Thank you! I'm glad you liked the chap.

Thank yas! For all the "happy b-days" xD I did I did. It was Pirates of the Caribbean themed.


	10. Missing

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 9: Missing

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The forming pieces of white ice trailed after my fingers, forming in the salty water and creating wavering shapes that glistened in the moonlight. My hands had long since gone numb from the cold, but I wasn't sure if it was the ocean air, or just me.

Zeus suddenly peeked his head above the water, looking irritated. He shivered slightly. "Do you mind keeping yourself out of the water?"

I raised a questioning eyebrow, "Why?"

His eyes narrowed as he retorted, "You're freezing the water."

"But you're cold-blooded!" I exclaimed, suddenly bewildered. Ariella was cackling next to me.

"Not _that _cold-blooded! Remember when Zora's Fountain froze in the mid fourteen-hundreds?" he said, "The Zora tribe was a wreck!"

"It wasn't in the thirteenth century, you moron." Ariella muttered.

Zeus glared at her, "All right, then. What century _was _it?"

She hesitated, "I-I don't remember, but still." Then, she stuck her tongue out at him. He shook his head in irritation before flopping into the water again. A few seconds passed and something swatted at my hand. I quickly withdrew it, realizing I had left it in the water and Zeus had grown impatient. Ice had steadily marked our trail, broken and tossed here and there by the waves, but still there.

"How long until we reach the shore?" I asked Ariella dully, ignoring Kado entirely from where he sat at the front of the boat. He couldn't wipe that pensive look off his face. I wanted to smack him so bad.

"A little longer," she replied before stretching out her arms, "I think I'm going to take a nap if you don't mind. I didn't get much rest, you know?"

"Sure," I murmured, "We all need rest." Maybe my reflexes were a little faster or my eyes had sharpened a little, but I could have sworn Kado had glanced at me for a very brief second.

XxxxXxxxX

We reached the exact same beach that Kado and I had been sitting on only the night before. It was a little eerie, to say the least. It felt like we were entering a different world all over, again.

Now, why was this happening, again?

The boat stopped on the shore, parting the soft sand and edging into the surface.

I reached over and shook Ariella's shoulder to wake her up, but she merely swatted my hand away, mumbling something incoherent before turning around on the seat.

"She's a very deep sleeper," Zeus mused from where he stood on the shore, pulling the boat out of the water.

"I guess it won't hurt to let her sleep," I muttered. "Will you guys give us a little while?"

He nodded and I stepped out of the boat, but ended up losing my balance and knocking my arm into someone in the process. I yelped, barely gaining my footing as something splashed behind me. The sand and water squished through my toes as I turned around to gaze at Kado's irritated expression. I smiled apologetically, ready to help him up. Zeus was laughing in delight and I couldn't help but join him, forgetting to offer the brunette my hand. Kado was grumbling and no doubt cursing unintelligibly. His clothes were once again wet and his hair frazzled.

"Come on," I said, reaching with my hand, "I'm sorry."

He narrowed his eyes at me, his gaze flickering from my face then to my hand. I drew away slightly; worried he might not want to touch me because of the palpable temperature freeze in my body.

But he took hold of my hand anyway and I quickly pulled him up, not wanting him to hold onto my hand any longer than he would have under normal circumstances.

"Where to?" I asked skeptically once he let go of my hand despite the fact that I didn't want to let go of his warmth.

"My house." He muttered; his voice was distant.

I was beginning to resent his pensiveness.

XxxxXxxxX

I looked horrible in that picture. How could my parents put that picture up? I just- it… They were unbelievable!

Date missing: May 28, 2006 

I snatched the worn down "Missing" poster from under the streetlight where it had been taped and crumpled it up. Underneath mine was Kado's own picture, and he looked handsome as ever. A pang of jealousy was my demise right there. I had to look away before I could see the reward amount underneath the photo.

"Hey," I smirked, "They think you're a suspect in my disappearance."

He crinkled his nose and tore his picture from the pole as well. "Are you kidding me? Why would I kidnap _you_?"

Why did that sound so offensive?

"Maybe I'm worth kidnapping," I muttered, tossing the paper in the trash. Would they give me ten grand if I turned myself in…including Kado? I mean- hey, it was a reward, right? And the more the merrier...

"Come on," he said, "Only a few more blocks." Either he hadn't heard me or he had chosen to ignore me. I kind of hoped it was the prior.

His house had a step stone walkway up to the front porch where an archway led into the little sitting area. The flowers on the wicker coffee table were withered, the petals crisp and falling on the surface. A bird feeder hung from the roof over the off-white railing where an array of ferns and plants continued to thrive despite possible neglecting.

I should have expected there to be a key on the top of the doorway, and I assumed everyone else in his family must be tall- taller than me, at least.

I wiped my feet on his doormat, knowing he, and his mother- most likely, would freak if I walked inside with earth-trodden feet.

The inside seemed dead. The warm, earth-tone colors of the walls and the furniture in the living room should have brought some type of comfort, but I didn't see any. His family was grieving, or at least spitting mad. It was only a day, I tried to reason to myself.

And then, I remembered about the one weekend my family had been setting aside to remodel our own house. The whitewashed walls were becoming a bore, and I was about ready to cover every inch with some type of poster until the place looked lived in.

"Jade," Kado hissed. I glanced at him warily to realize he was heading for the hardwood-based staircase at the end of the foyer. I ignored walking to the living room that continued past the staircase and quickly followed him.

"Where's your family?" I whispered as quietly as I could manage. There was no possible way I could get caught, now. For him, I didn't really care.

"They've been out on a business trip all week." He replied, "But I don't know if they got the news or not."

The floors creaked from the second story. I narrowed my eyes, stopping. A light flickered on from down the hallway, and I quickly stepped back. More footsteps ensued. This was beginning to feel like a very bad idea.

"Kado?" A voice called, slightly wavering. It hit just the barest hint of familiarity. I didn't like the thought of that.

Maybe it was his sister…or his mother?

"Isabella?" he called.

_Damn…._

I grimaced as he ran up the steps. A tall girl with light brown hair stepped into my line of vision. From the sound of her sniffling, I knew she was crying. Other than that, her face was merely a blur.

"Oh, Kado," she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck and practically sobbing. For crying out loud- it was only one day! Was he not supposed to have a life or something? "Why are you wet?" It sounded like an afterthought. Damn, she probably didn't care about the clothes- wouldn't be there for long anyway.

"It's all right, Izzie," he rubbed her back soothingly, trying to shut her up. At least, that's what I _hoped_. I pressed my back against the wall where I stood at the end of the staircase. Maybe…if I was quiet enough…I could leave…

I only came to make sure he stayed. Technically, I didn't trust Ariella or Zeus and the fact that I could just maybe see my home one more time would possibly lessen the pain of leaving.

It didn't, actually.

"Where have you been?" she demanded suddenly. Oh, only the goddesses from Hyrule could possibly know how much torment it was to listen to her damned voice!

"I…I just needed to get away, really." He hesitated, "Honestly, it hasn't been that long."

She pulled away from him, completely frantic, "It's been a week!"

"What?" They both turned to stare at me. I widened my eyes, suddenly realizing I was the one that had blurted it out.

Isabella's eyes suddenly furrowed, "Who are you?"

"That's not the point," I muttered, slightly embarrassed. "How long have you been staying here?"

She scowled, "I arrived Monday. Your parents allowed me to stay and wait for you. They went frantic and now they nearly go looking for you every night. They don't believe you kidnapped that girl…" Then her eyes averted to me. "Where did you take him? What did you do?"

Oh, this was too funny.

"You're blaming this on me?" I choked, ready to laugh. "Listen, if you want Kado- keep him. He causes me a lot of trouble, anyway."

The said brunette turned to glare at me, "Jade, shut up."

"No," I snapped before returning to the girl, "It was very nice meeting you again, Isabella… Kado, it was nice knowing you. Tell my parents and my sister I'm very, very fine and I'll see them around." I turned to go, my foot inches from the ground floor when he interjected my perfectly acclaimed exit.

"You can't leave, Jade." His voice was stern, and a touch of anger at the edges.

Why could I just barely resist him?

"And you can't come." I said, glancing at him from the corner of my eyes. He made a move to follow me, but Isabella already had snatched his sleeves, pulling him away from the stairs…from me.

I vaguely wondered if the girl had school at this point.

"I bid you two good night," I said, opening the front door and waving at them like I had a hat in my hand.

And my feet touched the cold, wooden steps of his front porch.

Did this mean that I was free?

Regrettably, it was too soon to say that.

"Jade, wait!" he exclaimed, catching the door before I could slam it behind me.

"Please, Kado," I begged, "You aren't making this easy for me. Don't you see? I can't be with you or near you or anything." He shook his head; his eyes were set firmly on me. I didn't like his determination at all. Talk about bad timing to care.

"No, Jade. I don't believe that. Why don't _you_ understand?" I was growing impatient, and narrowed my eyes at him.

I reached over and brushed my fingers against the side of his face; the skin paled under my touch, his blue veins appearing through the thin membrane. His lips turned a light purple, chapping.

I withdrew my hand quickly as I spoke, "Now, please, don't follow me, don't come after me, and don't even think about waiting for me… I won't for you."

He was watching me with utter remorse, but no words came from him.

"Bye, Kado." With one last glance to see his skin returning to its healthy vibe, I turned around and walked down the porch steps. I could hear the front door opening; Isabella's voice was frantic.

_Only a week…_

He comforted her, again. I knew the thoughts of him trying to comfort me would have to disintegrate, just like everything else in my life: my family, my friends, my future… I was done. I only had one purpose, and there was a huge chance that I would fail at that, too.

XxxxXxxxX

"Is he going to stay?" Zeus was the first to voice his thoughts.

I nodded half-heartedly, "Yeah." I jumped into the boat, ready to leave everything behind.

"Are you sure?" Ariella suddenly spoke. I hadn't realized she was awake until she sprung up from where she was sprawled out comfortably on the floor, her legs resting on the seat and her back against the back piece of the boat.

"Why do you ask that?" I was completely skeptical. She nodded, gesturing behind me. I glimpsed that direction to see him running down the sandy slope. I wasn't sure if I was angry or glad because I could definitely feel a growl emanating from my throat. He didn't slip or fall or tumble, but the brunette girl behind him was nearing that predicament.

"What the hell?" I practically shrieked, climbing out of the boat to meet him at the edge of the water. The cold waves brought me further to my senses.

"Kado, wait!" Isabella called. The said boy widened his eyes and turned around. His expression was very plain: horror, mortification.

There was a splash behind me. Turning back, I could see Zeus just barely dodging visibility. Ariella had covered her features underneath her cloak.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Kado. He ignored me.

"What are you doing here?" he remarked at Isabella.

My mouth was wide open.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Isabella sneered at me. My eyes were wide; I was horrified. How dare she ask me that question?

"Excuse me," I seethed, "But what are _you_ doing here?"

"I think we've reached an impasse here." It was Ariella. I thanked the heavens. Isabella merely watched in awe as the Zora stepped into the growing group.

Maybe I should have asked her to lower her hood to scare off the brat.

"And who might you be?" Isabella asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"That's a good question," I stepped, raising a finger, "And we would love to help answer that, but see- we're part of this secret organization hunting humans that know too much about vampires. And, well, you just caught us trying to capture one. You better leave. We don't want to have to kill you for knowing too much."

Maybe I was a really bad liar or a really good one. I had completely silenced the entirety of my audience. I stifled a laugh.

"Oh, shut up," I snapped at Kado suddenly. He was trying to hold back a laugh. Isabella did not seem at all amused. Maybe I wouldn't have to kill her after all…if she just went away, that is.

"This is ridiculous, Kado," she turned her gaze back to him, "You can't leave, and if you do- I'm coming with you."

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no," I waved my hands frantically before turning to Ariella, "We're getting out of here, dude. No more of this."

"Hold on, Jade." Kado was holding me up, again. I was about to smack him so hard.

"Kado, you have to stay here. What about your family? What about me?" Tears were rimming her eyes, welling so that her pupils glistened in the faint moonlight.

_Oh, brother._ This was getting out of hand.

"Hey," I took hold of Kado's arm and pulled him my direction, "You're going to stay here, understand?"

Didn't my words mean anything, or did they just slip into one ear and out the next?

"Listen to her!" Isabella said, waving in my direction.

"Yeah," I agreed- even though it felt a little awkward, "Stay with your girlfriend." And then I stormed off.

It was a done deal- that is, until Zeus popped his head out of the water, his smile wide and his teeth glistening.

"We've got a slight problem, people."

And Isabella shrieked.

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Heehee, this was one of my fave chapters so far. Well, another chapter done. Hope you all enjoyed it! I decided to update just to keep myself busy and you all, especially to those who have started school. This is for you all!

The part where Jade knocks Kado down is just a little part I'd add in when I drew the pic of her holding a paddle and Kado in the water. Course, she isn't holding a paddle here, but oh well.

Oh, and thank you lots and credits to Zombie Dragon. Without ZD's story, "Skirmish" I wouldn't have exactly gotten the idea for Link's muteness. ;-) Eheh, even though it _is_ pretty common along fanfictioners. And, also, I hadn't mentioned why Jade was going with Kado, and ZD caught that, too. So, I added the explanation.

Thanks to all you wonderful people reviewing so don't forget to come back!

True Blue- lol. Just wait to find out. Haha. No problemo. And good luck. I started school on that day as well. Not too great I have to say. And thank you!

Lindadoodle- thank you! Yah:-D You should one day. Pirate hats, costumes, cake, the works. Now, that. Would be awesome.


	11. Manipulation

_**Seeing All or Nothing**_

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Chapter 10: Manipulation

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Certainly this had to be a joke- some horrific little let's-scare-the-human kind of trick. I definitely didn't like it, and no one was laughing.

"What in hell?" I seethed through my teeth, trying to keep my voice low.

Zeus sent me an apologetic look, "Sorry, honey, but I can't find the trail back. It's like it just plain wiped off the sea ground."

"And you couldn't wait to tell us until _after_…?" I motioned to Isabella who was about ready to faint.

_Good_, I thought absent-mindedly, _Maybe she'll fall in the water and…_ I stopped myself suddenly, feeling a little more than ashamed.

He smiled sheepishly, his white teeth gleaming like silver, "Sorry…?"

"Oh…my…god!" Isabella shook, but I wasn't sure if it was from fright or anger. "What in hell is that?"

I snapped my head her direction and glowered at her, suddenly taking offense, "For one," I refrained from cursing as much as possible- "'That' is in fact a 'he', and _he_ is a Zora, so please lower your voice or get the fuck out of here!"

Well, I failed in the not-cursing area…but…at least my voice was leveled.

That point goes to me, thank you.

She glared daggers at me before returning to look at Kado, trying to convince him to stay. Her eyes flickered to Zeus every few seconds.

Maybe I should tell him to try and bite her…. Heheh…

"What do you mean you can't find the trail?" I asked, trying to forget the bickering two next to me.

He shrugged, positioning himself in the water slightly; "I just can't find it."

"Did they take your 'sight' away?" Ariella voiced suddenly, "I haven't heard of it disappearing."

"But you don't need the 'sight' to see the trail, Ari," he sighed, shaking his head. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"I don't get it. Why is this happening?" But Zeus had stopped paying attention to me. His dark eyes were squinting although I didn't see a reason to need be. But, well, when I squinted- that was a different matter.

"What is it?" Ariella asked, voicing my thoughts exactly.

His pale white lips tugged into a smile, "The ice. We can follow the ice."

"But it's hardly there- it's melting!" I began incredulously.

"And we need to hurry!" he exclaimed a little too excitedly, "Get in!"

With one more glance toward Kado and Isabella, I carefully stepped inside the boat and sat across from Ariella.

"Are they coming?" she asked.

I shook my head quickly. "Go!" I told Zeus. He shrugged and dove under; ready to pull the boat along when something rocked the boat from the end that I wasn't facing- the front, to be exact. I looked back in disdain, seeing Kado settling in.

"You," I muttered, ready to push him out.

"Kado, wait!" Tears were streaming down Isabella's cheeks.

Damn drama queen… 

Ariella groaned in frustration, slapping her forehead. Zeus had suddenly popped out from the water, a look of complete irritation on his fishy features. His eagerness was still beginning to bubble, however, and there was in no way Isabella was going to…ruin…it…

"What the h…!" I began to screech just before Kado jumped up and clamped his hand over my mouth. Zeus just smiled at me, ignoring Isabella's befuddled gaze from where she lay haphazardly on the fishing boat floor.

He didn't answer- none of them did. Zeus dove back in the water, pulling the boat along with what I could only assume was with a heavy-duty rope. I was hopeless to stop this. She just _had _to come along…?

I glared at Kado and he quickly removed his hand before I edged away from them, not wanting to be involved with this at all. The only reason I had come along was to make sure Kado actually _left _for home; not come back with another person! What would Neus and Zelda say?

The ice was thinning, hardly visible to my eyes as they drifted farther and farther from the beginning trail where it had broken off. I only hoped Zeus had some extra strong sense to be able to see and feel the coldness of the water. Maybe it would lead him, I wasn't sure.

Away from the "couple", I drifted into my own thoughts, deciding that thinking about _them_ would only make matters worse. But I couldn't concentrate, not even wonder why a day in the life of a Hylian took a week out of mine.

I was too tired.

So, I drifted to sleep, letting the rocking of the boat envelope me into unconsciousness.

_There was land under my bare feet. Long tips of grass grazed against my legs, sending chills up my spine. I didn't feel very cold. I felt normal, like I used to be. Ninety-two degrees, right? Whatever human body temperature was meant to be…_

_The dress I wore was thin, a strapless. I hated strapless. Not only that, but the dark scar was more visible. I had to smooth down my hair as it fluttered annoyingly in the wind, hoping it could calm so it could cover my back like a curtain._

_Hills and hills surfaced from the ground, bumps and curves and rocky slopes. A river streamed past, overflowing and edging along the riverbank precariously. Far along the hills past the one I stood, I could see a canyon of rocks piled in the way of the water as it splashed and recoiled and gushed again with no luck._

_A broken white fence lined the curve past the hill I stood on and I sidestepped to get past the splintered edges. I nearly fell from the downward slope that greeted me on the other end. Jagged rocks lined the side; grass poked from the crevices, swaying in the night breeze._

"_Are you just going to stand there, or jump?" A velvety smooth voice asked curiously. I snapped my head up, my eyes suddenly widening._

"_Kenny!" I exclaimed in shock, "Where am I?"_

_He smiled, his ice blue eyes gleaming. "My…uh... happy place..."_

_Why did that sound so funny?_

"_Your happy place?" I repeated with amusement as I gazed at his form from where he stood on the other side of the niche._

"_Yeah," he gestured to me, "Come on. Jump."_

"_Why?" I furrowed my eyebrows and watched him warily._

_He rolled his eyes, "You aren't going to get hurt if you trust me."_

"_Oh, please," I practically snarled, "I've trusted you before…"_

"_Please don't bring that up, again," he muttered before adding in a lighter tone, "I just want you to join me." He cocked his head back, indicating for me to look behind him._

_It was just a checkered black and white blanket against the soft, earthen surface._

"_What?" I coaxed tauntingly, "No champagne?"_

_He quirked an eyebrow, his smile widening, "You aren't old enough to drink."_

"_And you are?" I retorted._

"_Touché," he murmured before reaching out his hand across the gap. All I had to do was reach with mine and I'd be able to touch his fingertips. But, instead, I stared at him, speculating._

"_And why are you manipulating my dreams, again?" I asked as casually as I could manage._

"_You wanted to talk to me?" he replied, lifting his eyebrows._

"_How would you know?" I said, bewildered._

"_Sixth sense," he muttered curtly. "Come on, we don't have all night. Ariella is going to wake you up soon."_

_With a fleeting glare, I backed away from the niche a few steps before lunging over with less force than I actually needed. Kenny took hold of my arm despite the fact that as I glided to the other side of the hill, my balance was perfect._

_It was just a dream… a dream skewered by Kenny's manipulation powers…_

_Hurray…?_

"_What did I tell you?" he scoffed with a smile. I rolled my eyes._

"_So, what's with the blanket?" I scowled, thinking it looked overly out of place._

"_You don't want it?" he asked innocently, but before I could answer it disappeared into thin air. The grass below it now swayed easily, free from the suffocating blanket. "Better?"_

_I nodded warily before sitting on the grass. He followed suit and sat beside me just as the familiar feeling of dew began to soak through the thin material of the dress._

"_So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked him after a few moments of uneasy silence._

_He shrugged, "Nothing, really." He turned his head so he could face me. "I just wanted to spend some time with you before it wasn't possible without trying to kill each other."_

"_What do you mean?" I said, "I don't _have_ to kill you, right? I mean- I can just avoid you. No one _said_…" He shook his head, cutting me off._

"_The scar has reached its full extent, Jade," he said, "When you see me, or if you're near any Sheikah- it will take over you completely. You can't stop it."_

_I furrowed my eyebrows, "I won't do it."_

_He narrowed his eyes at me, "You have no choice in this."_

"_No," I grimaced, "Don't say that."_

_A falling star zoomed by in the darkness. Blues…yellows… Hot and cold and dying…_

"_You can't fight it," He said lowly, looking away. I watched his hair tousle in the wind._

"_Why did you…?" I wasn't sure how to phrase it, "How…Why…"_

"_What?" his attention had turned to me once again. I glanced off at the rolling hills._

"_Why…did you give Kado…those dreams?" I finished with a murmur._

_I could feel his penetrative gaze as he spoke; "What are you talking about?"_

_It was my turn to be confused… Well, _more _confused than I already was. "Kado… He said he was remembering things that happened…you know? The _dream…_?"_

_He shrugged, "It's a side affect. I didn't think you'd see him again."_

"_You didn't think he'd come back, and I wouldn't have any feelings for him."_

"_Jade," he cocked his head, gazing at me curiously, "Why would I give you back Kado when I'm the one having trouble trying to stay away from you?"_

_I rubbed my arm nervously, "Er…what?"_

_He chuckled, "I guess my time's up."_

"_What time?" I scowled, "I can't be with anyone. Look at me! I'm a freak!"_

_He rolled his eyes before leaning forward slightly, "I think you're a very…." He stopped suddenly when my eyes narrowed in a death glare, "Well, you're not an ugly freak, there."_

_And I smiled at him sarcastically, "Thanks. Maybe we should join a freak show." My face was flushing._

_Damn him._

_He laughed, "Yeah, maybe."_

"_So," I twirled a piece of grass between my fingers as I spoke, "Why is it that time goes so fast in our world… or does Hyrule just go slow?"_

"_It's weird, isn't it?" He began with a small smile, "It's like Hyrule is in a different dimension and it's as though the sun takes longer to reach the island before the rest of the world."_

"_Do they see the same sky?"_

_He nodded, "But in a different way- the way it looks when we can't see it."_

_I shrugged before finally sending him an irritated glare. "Why am I in a dress?"_

_He laughed, completely amused. "You never wear dresses."_

"_Damn straight," I muttered._

"_Are you still angry I manipulated your dream, again?" He asked jokingly._

_I glanced up at him and smiled, "Not really. I'm kind of glad you did."_

_There was a moment of silence, just resting and listening to the river crash against the embankment and the rocks that threatened to drown out the sound of the wind and the chirping crickets._

"_Ariella's thinking whether she should wake you up or not," Kenny murmured. We were both lying on our backs gazing up at the stars. I couldn't identify any of the constellations despite my inhumanly perfect eyesight. Returning to the real world was farthest from my mind until he had brought it up._

_It was eerie to know it was just my imagination…or his…to be exact._

"_I don't want her to," I grumbled._

"_I'm sorry about Isabella…" I furrowed my eyebrows and craned my neck to look at him. He was still looking out at the sky._

"_How so?" I said, bewildered slightly._

_He bided his time for a few seconds before replying; "They're back together…and you…you wanted to be with Kado, right?" He turned to watch me, now. I turned away, feeling a little self-conscious._

_How degrading. It was just a dream!_

"_I didn't know they were official…again…" I muttered. "No, I'm glad they're together. It wouldn't have worked out between us, right?" I stole a glance at him. His gaze hadn't faltered. Was I talking about Kado and me…? Or…was I somehow thinking of Kenny and me…? How could I forget?_

"_Maybe, but you don't know that." He tried to reassure._

_It was weird having this conversation with him._

_So, in turn, I rolled my eyes at him and sighed. "People fifty billion miles away could see it."_

"_Quit with the over exaggeration, Jade." He scowled, his voice actually taunting as he rolled to his side and propped himself up with his elbow. His towering over me, nearly blocking out my view of the sky, made my heart flutter._

_In a dream, too!_

"_What do you want me to do?" I retorted, "Do you want me to tell you _every_thing about me without using sarcasm? It's kind of hard."_

"_I understand that," he said, reaching his arm over me so that I was practically crushed against him. He even smelled good._

_What kind of dream was this, anyway?_

"_I didn't say you could manipulate_ me_, you know." I tried holding my breath from taking in his intoxicating scent. Apparently, he hadn't granted me the power to not need air. _

_Damn him._

"_I'm not," he said innocently before leaning forward. I thought he would try and kiss me, which wasn't at all a bad idea. Instead, pressing me against his chest and letting me wrap an arm around his neck lightly, he let his lips reach my ear._

"_Wake up," he whispered, sending a chill up my spine._

"Oh, for goddesses' sake, wake up!" A shrill voice startled me.

"Ungh…" I moaned, beginning to feel that the rocking of the boat was getting to me and I was beginning to feel like my head was going to pop off and my heart was going to explode.

"We're here," Ariella piped up. Her hood was still up.

"Why'd you wake me up?" I whined; covering my head and sinking lower to the boat floor. My body felt less rigid despite the uncomfortable position, but the cold, wet floor was still welcoming.

"Uh," she tapped her fingers on the wood with her fingernails, "Because _we are here_."

I sighed, "Whatever."

"What's up with you?" she leaned forward to inspect my face. "You're cold, definitely. I could feel it all the way over there. So…What is it?" She didn't bother to gesture where she had been sitting.

"I just…nothing…" I murmured.

"Was it…because of…Kenny?" she whispered accusingly.

I widened my eyes at her and seethed, "How did you know?" I had never told her about him.

She chuckled, "You were saying his name…over and over..."

I could feel my face go into horror-struck mode. "Did I?" I squeaked.

"Moaning and groaning…" she squealed tauntingly, but not loud enough for the others to hear above the sound of the waves.

I groaned, "Oh, no…"

"Oh, please," she waved her hand at me passively, "It wasn't that loud. I just heard you muttering a few other things."

"Oh…"

"What's wrong?" She asked curiously.

I could see Zeus explaining something to Isabella while she watched him with a little bit of fright. She was latched onto Kado; her arm wrapped around his torso and her other hand gripping his shirt. He, on the other hand, looked slightly uncomfortable. Zeus, as happy as he still was, looked completely and utterly excited. His teeth were flashing and his eyes were bright.

_Bite her, bite her…_

But he didn't even do that. No. He did the exact opposite… Or, let's just say- the softer version of that, whatever that meant.

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Well, that's the end of this one. And well, Zeus is just ecstatic. Whatever. The days drag on and I've give you guys another chapter. Hope you enjoyed.

Thanks for reviewing all!

Lindadoodle- thank you! Haha, cool cool. Don't forget the hats and eye patches. Lol.

True Blue- thank yas! Yep, well. I guess the opposite just happened. Oh boy. Better duck for cover. X-)

I couldn't hold back from updating this and I'm not sure when the next one will be up. I've been beaten down by school and there's so many ideas buzzing around I think I need a fly swatter or something so the homework thoughts in the itty bitty corner of my mind can come out… Er, anyway. Until next time.


	12. Mentality

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 11: Mentality

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Her face had contorted into one spasm of complete horror. Her eyebrows knotted together, her eyes wide open as the skin resting at the middle of her nose folded into tiny lumps, as the fishy lips that could only belong to Zeus pressed against her own. Her hands were trembling as she tried to grab onto anything- any_one_. That said thing or person happened to be Kado, and he was drawn forward from the fist that pulled at his damp shirt. Getting away from the close two was complicated for him, and Isabella looked as though she wasn't at all planning on letting go of him.

Zeus, however, was quite enjoying himself. Because as he pulled away from her, he couldn't help but let on a bigger smile than I thought possible. My eyes couldn't stray away from him or Isabella as she gnarled her arms around Kado, shaking and confused. The look of mortification was still on her face as she glared incredulously at the Zora before her.

"Well, that was unexpected, Zeus," Ariella leered with a sigh at the end. She didn't _look_ as though it had been unexpected.

Although, hadn't Kado said something the night before about it being better that he was the one that saved me rather than Zeus? The "saving" part somehow involving mouth-to-mouth contact _did_ require something the Zora would probably enjoy.

And then I laughed, loud and obnoxious and completely out of hand. I was enjoying this way too much. For one, well, _hah!_ Maybe I wouldn't have to get kissed _once_ during this trip- not including Kado's part that one night. That, in fact, was just for life-saving purposes.

What did I have to worry about anymore, anyway?

"W-what's so funny, Walker?" Isabella remarked.

"How do you know my name?" I asked finally after my laughter had died down.

Glancing at Ariella, I realized she was trying to cut out her own laugh before it escaped into the night air. Zeus and Kado, on the other hand, were watching a bit warily with the one exception that Zeus was grinning and Kado was looking very much bewildered.

Isabella continued to stare at me, her eyebrows slowly releasing from the annoyance she had once been going through to just watch me… without an expression of annoyance, or anger, or bewilderment. She said nothing. Her lips hadn't twitched to form a grimace, her nose hadn't crinkled to show aversion, and she didn't even turn her head to show that she was avoiding me.

"All right," Zeus finally interrupted once realizing the stunned silence didn't plan on leaving anytime soon, "One of you will have to wait here in the boat so we can take the other two through the tunnel. Anyone offering?"

I had been too busy thinking- and laughing to realize that the looming black rocks that served as high walls around Hyrule were only a few feet away. In the moonlight, I could see the slippery surface glinting midnight blue with the dark waves. As though any second it would disappear into the backdrop of the night sky and be gone like a dream drifting with the waves.

But it didn't. It was there, blocking out the horizon from one side, leaving me to wonder further why the trail had disappeared from the seafloor below. I wished I could dive under the choppy waves and see what Zeus was seeing, but his perception was most likely stronger, much more surreal than any human's. He could probably see farther, focus on the littlest of details or maybe see a thin trail covered in coral and seaweed but outlined in blue and greens and reds.

"I'll stay," Kado spoke. His voice was hoarse as if he hadn't spoken for hours. In which case I believed he hadn't. He cleared his throat before leaning back slightly. His back shuddered slightly and I realized he was cold. He would get sick if he stayed out in the cold ocean air any longer.

"No," I interjected as Ariella stood up, ready to guide me into the water. "I'll stay. I'm not the one freezing to death."

"That's a bit of a lie, don't you think?" Kado muttered, glancing up at me with his eyes narrowed.

"Even if I am, it isn't like I'm feeling the cold anymore than I'm supposed to."

"Hold your breath long enough, Jade." He looked away, ignoring my reply, "I don't think I have enough energy to save you, again."

I grimaced, "Funny, Kado, but I'm not…"

"Jade," Ariella placed a hand on my shoulder. It twitched slightly, and it probably felt as though she were resting her hand on a cold glacier out in Antarctica. "Just listen to him. It's late for bickering. You can do that tomorrow."

I sighed, "But…" Then, I stopped. She was right. The longer I stood there arguing, the longer it would take to get him back and into the warmth. "Fine…"

Zeus was the first to dive, his steel hard grip on Isabella's wrist unfaltering as she writhed in shock when he grabbed her. He mumbled something to her and she took in a deep breath and held it. They went under with hardly a splash.

"Us next…" Ariella said, taking hold of my wrist.

I glanced at Kado, feeling guilty. I furrowed my eyebrows at him as he finally craned his neck to watch me warily, probably wondering why I was staring at him for no reason.

"I'm…" I bit my lip before continuing, "sorry…" His eyes narrowed again, but this time it was as though he were trying to contemplate what I had said. I hoped he had heard me, but usually things like apologizing didn't exactly work my way.

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"You're insane!" I gasped at Ariella with wide eyes. Climbing onto shore wasn't as difficult as last time, but the pain of swimming felt exactly the same.

The said Zora was cackling just before she replied; "Hey, your buddy didn't seem to mind last time. He thought it was fun."

Her meaning of "fun" meant swirling uncannily through the dark tunnel, just barely dodging rock and coral that could have very easily butchered me to death. Just thinking of how half of my body had nearly collided with the large rock jutting out from the side of the tunnel where all types of coral and life had plastered themselves onto the surface sent adrenaline rushing through me. The near fatal experience- in my eyes- had almost caused me to inhale, and drowning was the last thing to do in my mind.

I wrung water from my hair and watched the lake's surface warily for Zeus to pop up with Kado in tow. When Ariella and I had reached the lake, Isabella had already been spit up and strewn onto the soft grass where she was shivering uncontrollably from the wet clothes and hair in which water had probably seeped through her skin. She looked like a drowned cat after a storm, sitting on a high surface to avoid any more water puddles and waiting for the right time to start licking herself.

A few minutes passed and I was growing impatient from the wait. Isabella by now had somehow edged a little closer to me- still too far to reach, but enough to hold a reasonable, distanced conversation without much of an awkward moment because of unwanted eye contact. Ariella, by now, was half in the water and half in the dry. Her dripping wet cloak had long since been tossed out onto the grass farther out to dry while she simply wore a purple-colored, strapless tunic. I could see her drumming her fingers on her thigh, waiting just as the rest of us.

With a break of the water, Zeus's head popped up, creating soft ripples around him like a low halo. His eyes were narrowed and he seemed to be searching for something. Assuming maybe it was for us, I waved my hand up in the air for a few mere seconds. But, he wasn't paying attention. He dove under, again, without a single glance. And Kado hadn't followed after him because he hadn't shown his face above the water at all.

She didn't give us a warning as to where she was going, or a reply to my question as she slinked over to the deep end and splashed under the soft waves in the water. Isabella and I watched anxiously as both the Zoras disappeared from sight.

"What do you think they're waiting for?" I started suddenly, realizing the brunette was speaking to me.

I shrugged, "Beats me."

"Do they have Kado?" I probably shouldn't have been so irritated with her, since she was actually asking the questions my mind was racing to find the answer to. But, I didn't want to speak with her. I didn't want her to be in the same world I was in. This was my problem, my people I was trying to befriend or drive away from or figure out. What if she stole them away from me?

What if she stole _him_ from me?

But, there was Kenny, too. The person- or Sheikah I was supposed to kill.

I shook my head. There wasn't time to think about crushes and whatnot. I was being utterly ridiculous to even think about myself at a time where something could go so easily wrong.

"I don't know…" I muttered, my eyes straying over to the dark rocks spanning the entire lake and further.

"I hope he's all right…" she sighed, sounding actually very sincere.

"How long have you two been together?" My throat was tight from saying this, my tongue feeling like a thousand needles were piercing it, trying to stop me from even asking.

"Before he…" she cleared her throat slightly, "Before we broke up- about a year."

"Oh…" I tried to voice, but only a puff of cold air escaped.

"And how long have you known him?" her tone seemed edged with a bit of distaste. Her familiar expression was plastered on her face once more.

"Um…" I licked my chapped lips before answering; "A couple of days."

"Really, now?" She wasn't buying it. "About seven months ago I could have sworn you knew his name."

"It was a lucky guess." I murmured.

"Don't try and lie," she gritted her teeth and glared at me, "I have the right to know."

"No, you don't." I snapped. "And what business is it of yours to get involved with his problems? You not only put him in more danger- and yourself, but everyone else, too. So, I'm going to ask you, again. How did you know my last name?"

Her eyes flickered toward the lake, most likely trying not to make eye contact with me. At the same time, it felt as though my body temperature had dropped another ten degrees. I wasn't even sure if I was supposed to be alive at this point.

"I don't know how I knew your last name, okay?" She finally griped, folding her arms across her chest and shivering slightly.

"Where did you hear it? Did Kado tell you?" I was getting a little more curious.

She shook her head in impatience and voiced, "No," as though she had to say it out loud.

It was silent after that. Isabella avoided asking more questions- as did I, probably realizing I was as useless as I looked. Her supposed concern over Kado wasn't at all forced, but naturally real. She had more guts to actually wonder out loud what was wrong, than me- that only wanted to hide in a corner until everything was better.

She actually fought for Kado. She went after him. And what about me? I didn't fight for him. I hid my own desires just to get rid of him! I didn't want him to get hurt by me. I just hoped I hadn't been hurting him by pushing away so much. What if he finally realized that and now… I couldn't ever tell him anything because she was back in his life.

"Jade!" Both Zeus and Ariella called from where they floated not too far from the shore. I wiped at my eyes despite the lack of tears and squinted to better see their shapes more clearly.

"What?" I replied back, leaning forward on my hands and knees to peer at them.

"Uh," Zeus was glancing around nervously before replying, "Would there be any reason why Kado would have wanted to stay on the boat last?"

"What! Why?" I practically screeched, not understanding what he meant.

"Oh, for goddesses' sake…!" Ariella growled a few curse words at him before turning to me, "We can't find him, Jade, or the boat."

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Eheh, sorry for the short chappie, but I thought it would be easier to update quicker for you guys.

And thank you all for the awesome reviews!

Lindadoodle- thank you for the review! Haha, cool cool. Sounds like fun.

True Blue- thanks! Lol. My teacher made chem. a lot more fun even though it was a little complicated. Have you gone over boxes and sig figs yet:-) And good luck on the test!

I know I said I'd update next week but I was bored and I thought I'd update earlier. Hope you all enjoyed!

P.S I'm working on the cover art right now and I'll post it up on deviantart when I have the chance. So, if you guys are interested I can inform y'all when I have it up. Right now, though, all I have are doodles and some sketches on my binder.


	13. Blind

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 12: Blind

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"I can't believe this," I said more to myself about the hundredth time that night, "Where would he go!!"

"Jade," Zelda reached her hand toward me, ready to comfort me a little more. I wouldn't have it. They were being too calm about this- as if it happened constantly or something.

"No!" I cried out in frustration, kicking the chair's wooden leg before recoiling in pain.

"Stop hurting yourself, Jade!" Saria exclaimed with such authority that I nearly stopped hopping on one foot while at the same time holding my injured other.

"What could have happened?" I griped, finally reducing to sitting on the small cot and covering my face with my hands.

We had returned so quickly to the forest that I had completely forgotten about Isabella trailing behind us, with Zeus trying to explain everything to her. And despite that the Kokiri children were still asleep, being woken up by a perturbed human seemed to gain their utmost attention. Nearly all the Kokiri were gathered outside, waiting. Saria, Zelda, Ariella, Zeus, Isabella, and I were inside my temporary shelter in the forest. Apparently, Link was off once again, and I hadn't bothered to go search for him in the meadow. He deserved his privacy, after all.

"Maybe the sea swallowed him up?" Zeus offered with a wave of his hand. I raised my head and glared at him, too exhausted to actually spit back a remark. But he looked away suddenly, toward the door.

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed, surprised. Her blue eyes lighted up as she shifted her position to face him completely. She cocked her head as she spoke, but I soon became too fixed on how she fidgeted her fingers with the folds of her dark violet dress, wringing and pinching and picking as if an invisible stain or piece of lint decorated the material.

"Go back to the tree house, Link." Saria ordered, her eyebrows furrowing.

Isabella, I noticed, could only gawk at him. Other than the sages, everyone else seemed unfazed. I, on the other hand, wasn't sure what to think. I'd figure he would come.

So, I let my gaze travel to the doorway to where he stood in his utter silence. He was using sign language again, and he was most indefinitely angry about something. If I had understood sign language, I probably would have known what he was trying to say, but I doubted in my state there would be time for that. Besides, his shaggy, glowing halo of sandy blonde hair was too beautiful to not occupy myself with. But, I had to forget it a moment later, when he grimaced, his bottom lip pouting slightly. Her sister hadn't been impressed.

"Just go, Link." Zelda said this time. She didn't even seem to be wary of his "words" but rather watched his face- his eyes, maybe, to get him to back away and leave. He wouldn't have it though. And, just when I thought they would start a full-on brother-sister fight, Link's eyes wandered to mine. His expression softened, his eyebrows furrowing in something more of sympathy than irritation.

I didn't want them to send him away. Why didn't they understand he had been brought down from generations of strong heroes? But, then again, how did their legends end in the first place?

"Why don't we just let him stay?" I sighed, running a hand through my hair to make it sound that it wasn't the biggest thing that annoyed me. Well, it didn't, really. Finding Kado was the most important.

There was no way in hell that he could have rowed back, or around, or even gotten lost in the ocean so quickly. Zeus and Ariella would have found him, drifting, drowning…

Who would take him, anyway?

Kenny?

It wouldn't make sense after all those things he had told me in the dream earlier in the night. And the conversation couldn't have just been my imagination. It was too real. So, it _had_ happened. I had to be sure about this.

But, then, something struck a chord.

He had told me to be careful, that I should watch out for people I couldn't trust. Who was he even talking about?

"Jade…? Jade?" Ariella's voice suddenly cut through the fog inside my mind. I stopped thinking, hoping every word she spoke would give me a clearer definition of what was going on, what _could_ be going on. "We'll keep an eye out for him. If he's out there, we'll find him." Her eyes were dark, only bare pinpoints of silver light radiating from where the candlelight flickered and reflected. I believed her.

As she turned to walk out the door, her fishy silhouette glowing, Zeus followed and Zelda's narrowed eyes did also. The sages were quiet, however. And they gave no indication that they were about to say "goodbye" or "good night". Only Link nodded to them as a sincere gesture when he stepped out of their way to allow them to pass.

The room felt bare. Even Isabella's sudden aloofness had made the room dimmer. There was no fairy bobbing around, no silver-haired girl with sparkling wings to laugh as if a sudden wind had struck chimes. The room definitely felt empty, and darker, too.

"Where's Neus?" I asked to no one in particular. No one in particular answered, either.

Link cocked his head, his eyes focused on Saria. Both the sages seemed to be in thought.

Before I was about to repeat the question, thinking that maybe they hadn't heard me, Zelda answered.

"She went to the castle," She replied matter-of-factly. I wondered how long it took to come up with that answer, "She's informing my family of your arrival so they can prepare."

"Why?" I questioned. Did royalty _really_ have to be involved, again?

"Because you need a protected place to stay. Sheikah lurk anywhere in the shadow." Saria interjected with a slight nod.

Her expression and her tone of voice weren't enough to actually convince me this time. We had already been staying in the forest long enough- a day and two nights to be exact. Sheikah being the protectors of royalty and one actually being a sage, they would easily be able to enter the forest and not to mention Hyrule Castle. And, what about Impa, exactly? They wouldn't let me near her, or her near me. But, my fight wasn't with her, anyway, right?

I was a little glad I hadn't mentioned Kenny to them just yet, either.

"Shouldn't we look for Kado, first?" I widened my eyes at Isabella, realizing her shrunken form in the corner had morphed back into her own self as she spoke. Her eyes were grazing over each face in the room without much hesitation. I wasn't sure what had gotten into her so suddenly. She was crying and melting into a puddle only five minutes ago.

"As I said," Zelda snapped, "the Zoras will find him."

"If he's out there, right?" I retorted, crinkling my nose in distaste. They were irritating me. For one, these weren't the two sages that I had met before. I hadn't figured their personality would change in a few generations. I guess I was wrong, then.

"Yes," Saria replied softly, her expression still hard, unchanging.

"We should get some rest, then." I mumbled, "If we're leaving tomorrow?"

Saria nodded, "Yes, tomorrow morning."

Isabella stood up, "That's a good idea. I'm really tired." Zelda glanced at her cagily, her eyebrows knotting together before quickly returning to another perfectly smooth demeanor.

"We've left a few extra things here and there for you to change into, Isabella." Saria said as they both walked toward the door with Zelda ahead. Link still stood there, watching intently.

"Could I talk to Jade for a quick second, please?" Isabella asked innocently, her eyebrows raised as she waited for their answer.

Half of me expected another threat from her. I just hoped she knew I had a pretty good sense of freezing her to death if she came too close to me.

Saria nodded, "You'll be staying in the house two down. An extra set of clothes will be there including a tonic I think you should drink. You'll be ill in the morning if you don't- from the wet clothes."

Isabella furrowed her eyebrows as they left. Link glanced at me thoughtfully, one step away from heading outside as he nodded. I stopped him suddenly, hoping with him around Isabella wouldn't be so rash and I wouldn't have to do something completely stupid.

"Is it all right if Link stays?" I asked, cocking my head.

She hesitated, glancing at him then to me, "Can I trust him?"

I watched her incredulously. _Trust him?_

And I nodded, "Yeah, sure."

She sighed before turning to him and gesturing for him to come inside. He stepped farther inside the room uncertainly, his lips slightly parted as if ready to say something even if he couldn't. Then, as though it couldn't get any odder, Isabella went around him and shut the curtains over the door.

With a deep breath and a quick close of her eyes she began: "I know you hate me. I hate you, too."

"Right to the point, huh?" I taunted with a smile. At least she knew my point of view about her.

"But, I don't trust them," She continued in a strained whisper as she opened her eyes, "And I know you saw it, too."

"That's ridiculous," I muttered, irritated, "Why shouldn't we trust them? They just want me to be safe, you know? And if you don't like it…"

"No," she interjected, narrowing her eyes at me, "Just listen…"

I sighed, "Link, do you believe her?" I asked him because he hadn't even been showing any hint of denying her belief. His eyes glazed over mine. I could tell he was contemplating it over in his head, but he wouldn't answer.

"Jade," Isabella hissed, "Didn't you see how they acted when you asked them about Kado? They changed the subject- they wouldn't help! Something is out there, or…"

"Or, what?" I growled, standing up. Both of them backed away suddenly, "Or _they_ are the something? You think they had anything to do with his disappearance? Maybe the sea just swallowed him up! Like Zeus had said. Maybe the fucking goddesses didn't want him to find out. Maybe the sages didn't want humans to know of all this! We all _know_ neither of you were supposed to be involved! Maybe Kenny _was_ right. Maybe what he said all those times- I don't need any of you. Go home, Isabella. God only knows how much more trouble _you _are going to cause now that we can't find Kado. If you just tried a little harder to keep him there we wouldn't be in this mess!"

I inhaled, out of breath, completely exhausted, bewildered, irritated. They were watching me with wide eyes, so taken back. And I felt ashamed. They were only helping, really. _I_ was the problem. Now, I blamed _her_ for something _I_ had done wrong.

Link was the first to leave, his hurt expression enough to confirm his sudden irritation toward me. I hadn't expected it…none of it.

_I'm sorry._

But the words didn't come out.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Isabella snarled.

Kado had said the same exact thing, too.

And she left the room.

The dark, heavy curtains flapped against the wind as she stepped outside. The candlelight flickered, still at the edge of the wick. It blew out. A trail of evanescent smoke wafted upward into the cold air before disappearing, leaving nothing in its wake.

Gone. Like Kado.

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Second short chappie up. Hope you all enjoyed.

Thanks for the great reviews!

True Blue- lol. That's ok. You'll get the hang of chem. soon. Anyway, thanks for reviewing! Just a couple more chapters and things will start coming together…I think…heh…

Lindadoodle- heh. Don't worry. Those questions will be answered soon enough. And thank you for reviewing!

P.S I have the cover art for this story up if you guys are interested. My icon here is a mini version of the thing. You can go to deviantart and check it out including some other crapola sketches I've done recently.


	14. Lured

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 13: Lured

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Link made it a point to avoid me that morning. I didn't see him at all as we packed for the trip to Hyrule. Apparently, it wouldn't take days to get there, which meant giving or receiving the silent treatment wouldn't be that gruesome, considering the fact that Zelda was allowing Link to come with us. It would be his second trip outside the forest, and the first taking place only when he was younger, when he visited the castle after he had left it when he was five.

Isabella sent me another one of her death glares as I stepped outside of the small house, packed and ready to go. I had refused to eat breakfast that morning and so had she. But they had done a better job of convincing her to eat _something_ after forcing her to drink the tonic they had prepared for her. She probably thought it was poison or something, which was actually ridiculous, to say the least.

Zelda had three other horses prepared and waiting for us by the bridge. Link's horse was none other than the offspring of Epona- or Eponas maybe. But, instead of having an auburn coat with a white stripe down her head, it was black- that actually contrasted nicely with the deep red. Close breeding, I guessed.

The Kokiri were sad to see us go, but not as reluctant to let us go as I had thought. Having someone giving off freezing temperatures wasn't the best thing to keep around during mid spring in Hyrule.

My horse's name was Lure. I had no idea why, either. Why would they name a horse after a fishing lure, or a verb? Anyway, he looked exactly like Kane: black fur, dark eyes. I called him Kane secretly when no one could hear me, but I was forced to call him Lure when I needed to call him and whatnot. It didn't exactly roll of the tongue as easily as you would think. Try saying it ten times without losing its meaning. I didn't like the sound of it one bit. But, it was just a name, right?

While I was given the difficult task of blanketing him and mounting his back, Link was watching me. I wasn't exactly sure what kind of expression his face has morphed into, but it wasn't really anger more that it was just wary. Wary, but for what? He was probably worrying over me, being the overprotective hero that I thought I had known before.

But, why was he _worrying_?

I had to look the other way; pretend I didn't notice him gazing at me. I was getting perturbed and completely aggravated. All I wanted to do was to tell him to stop looking at me! But, unfortunately, I doubted he could read my mind. So, I settled on the horse, getting comfortable as much as possible without freezing Lure under me. He whinnied softly when Zelda walked past.

"Are you all ready?" she asked, glancing at us quickly then taking an extra moment to watch Link aid Isabella onto her horse. She didn't seem to have enough upper arm strength to pull herself up. I hadn't either, or ever before all this. I wasn't about to make fun of her, but merely scowled in attempt at her direction. Too bad she didn't notice.

"We're ready," I replied sullenly, turning away just as she fixed her leg over on the other side of the brown horse's saddle.

"Good," was Zelda's curt reply. She fixed her dark brown hood over her head before mounting the white stallion only a little away from our group. She was going to lead, and Link wasn't too happy about it. He, for one, had refused to go with us. Odd, huh? He had said before he had wanted to go alone, but Zelda wouldn't want to risk letting him go to town by himself

So, we left the forest. Hardly a way to leave: so quickly, so quietly. I kind of hoped it would take longer to leave the dwelling, but in seconds we were out in the open field of Hyrule.

Tall prairie grass swayed in the breeze surrounded by broken, wooden fences. Dotting the plains with birch, and oak, and other various trees made the open wild look livelier than the dark, rock wall surrounding the entire perimeter. The red desert canyon was still to the left, near the tall cottage buildings surrounded by a bamboo fence. It wasn't surprising to see a river up ahead where a large stone bridge connected another piece of land, which I guessed led to a stone stairwell up into the chiseled rock.

But still, all this was very far away. Wheat fields were scattered here and there. White fences surrounded large pens where horses and sheep and all other cattle grazed. Houses could be familiarized in the distance, standing out like a sore thumb but looking like paradise in the country. The farming plantations in Hyrule had spread, leaving merchants to sell their products at the marketplace and allowing more jobs for peasants to work out of town. I could see them everywhere: amongst the low backdrop of hills, near the river, and walking along the dirt trail that we followed. They didn't seem to be very afraid, like they must have been before. Hyrule field wasn't a vast wilderness anymore- it didn't seem. They were definitely colonizing the place. Maybe Nintendo thought it was too boring, too happy.

"C-can we s-stop and rest, now?" Isabella's voice rang in the rushing air as we slowed down to a trot down the road.

I glanced at her irritatingly, "Why? Tired already?" She furrowed her eyebrows and glared.

"No!" she shot back, but I could see her mask was wearing thin. A look in her eyes told me she just had to be lying. Her skin had considerably paled, and her form seemed limp, like she was fighting falling off the horse while trying to avoid too much pressure on keeping herself straight on the saddle.

Link glanced at me worriedly before catching up from behind her to watch dubiously. She turned to look at him pleadingly. I didn't feel any sympathy for her, however. But, just as we made a wide turn on the very wide road into a very wide cross-section I heard a gasp and a whoosh of air and a hard tumble from behind me.

Turning Lure around, I saw Isabella yards away from us, on the dirt trail; face flat, unmoving- in a heap. I jumped off Lure, avoiding her horse as it raced past, and then ran to where Link kneeled next to her.

"What happened?" I squeaked, placing a hand on her shoulder. She felt warm, like she had a fever. Saria had said the tonic would help her from getting sick. Had it backfired somehow?

Link picked her up gently and turned her over onto her back. Dirt stuck to half her face and hair and clothes. She had been sweating profusely despite the cold breeze. It didn't make much sense. But, he wiped it gingerly off her face, starting from her eyes and eyebrows and down to her cheekbones and nose. He was being overly careful, as if she was too fragile to touch. Glancing at him I felt something in his eyes I hadn't seen before.

"What's wrong with her?" From her voice she sounded caring, but when I glanced up at Zelda I could only see a stone cold expression. Her eyes squinted to get a better look at the girl in Link's arms. But, otherwise, she didn't come closer.

"We were hoping you would answer that question." I muttered, glancing off at Hylians that took their time to walk farther around us than to see what the problem was that forced us to block the trail.

"I doubt anything I say can contribute well to a human's problem such as this," she said with a wave of her hand.

"But what about the tonic you gave her? How did you think it would help her?"

My questions went unanswered. I was getting tired of this game.

"Come, then," the blonde princess turned around as Link lifted Isabella up into his arms, "We'll have to hurry. Bale couldn't have gone far."

"Bale?" I questioned as I walked after her, Link in tow.

"The horse."

"Oh," I sighed before mounting Lure once again.

"Link," Zelda quickly turned on her heel to face him. He lifted an eyebrow in question as she continued, "Go ahead to the castle, and quickly, so that the human- Isabella can get some treatment. Hurry, will you? And talk to no one, understand?"

He glared for a split second but otherwise nodded slightly before mounting Epona with Isabella in his arms. It definitely looked harder than I had thought it would be, but somehow Link pulled it off. With her occasionally lolling her head and groaning, they galloped off, leaving only a trail of dust in their midst.

I sighed, "Well, I guess we better get off the road already. People are looking at me funny."

Zelda chuckled, "Yes, but I don't think it is just _you_ they are looking at."

"What do you mean?" I asked, turning Lure around to face our destination.

"Well, being dressed in a cape _does_ cause a distraction." She remarked, leading her stallion to a trot before turning it into a gallop.

"Right," I rolled my eyes, "then maybe I should have worn one, too. A pale human with tribal markings doesn't cause as much attraction as a cape."

She laughed dryly, "You have a deadly sense of humor, Jade."

I cocked an eyebrow, "Deadly?" I had to speak louder as I tried to speed Lure up. He whinnied a few times in protest, but nonetheless caught up to her.

She smirked, turning her head my direction for a few seconds to glance at me. Her golden blonde hair whipped at her face and she squinted. "You should be careful of what you wish for. Sometimes it may come true…" There was something else she added as well, but the wind wasn't favoring me at that moment. So, I heard none of it. Only the wind surrounding her heard it, and everything to her left heard it too, but her right was as blank of noise as blank as I wished my body to be of the scar.

I was speechless once we reached town. Looking nothing like I had ever imagined, and I was completely amazed. Tall, gray stonewalls surrounded the entire perimeter. The large, wooden gate bridge was lowered. Merchants were set along the sides and near the moat. Crowds gathered around easily, leaving their carts and horses along posts set up on the outskirts. The city life had undoubtedly spread and farmers from across the land had taken chances of setting up regular shop out in the field.

We made our way past them at a slow pace, waiting for the crowds to part and allow us through. They grumbled and shouted curses, oblivious to the fact that their princess was riding past. A young girl with cropped, blonde hair ran past Lure, sending him whinnying on his hind legs. I gripped onto the reins, feeling my eyes freeze and burn as my entire body went rigid as though the temperature had dropped twenty degrees. But, Lure wasn't about ready to stay any longer, and as I glanced at the girl with the crimson eyes as she watched in panic, I realized something.

And my curse wasn't in the backdrop mode anymore. It was there, like a virus waiting to break out again and again when my immune system was low. In this case, Sheikah were my problem- just like cold sores that broke out on your lip when you spent too much time in the sun without any medicine to keep it away.

I raced Lure out of the market, past Zelda and toward the road that led to the gate across the town square. Soldiers stood on guard, and the second they saw me they raised their spears. I had to pull back Lure's reigns so they wouldn't shove a stick through his neck. I sent them a glare and waited for Zelda. She approached casually, as if what happened only a moment before didn't matter.

Cobblestone streets, towering old-town houses with shingles roofs and shudders to cover windows, dogs barking, plants decorating every side-house, stone fountains, and small merchant shops set near the shops and side roads. This was the marketplace that I had seen in my dreams. But, it was much more livelier, much more real, much more frightening, but just as I remembered it. Kenny hadn't held back this part as much as I had hoped.

To my right I could see the Temple of Time, the mosaic windows gleaming in the afternoon sun, the towering pointed roofs as if reaching the sky with pinprick hands. I glanced at the steps: empty. No one stood there. An occasional dog scurried past, but it was void. I had to remember to drop by later.

"Jade," Zelda called and I watched her beckon me to follow. The soldiers watched precariously from under their blistering armor helmets. I remembered Eric and the first time we met at the bar in Kakariko Village.

What if they were all naturally like that?

The castle was just another eyesore. For one, it stretched higher than the Temple, blotting out half the sky and causing me to strain my neck just to look at its tallest tower: dark, high, and very uncanny. I had to squint to see the finer details of the chipped stone and torches that dotted the sides.

The lighter side was the front courtyard. Birch trees and a few oaks dotted the landscape like a miniature version of Hyrule field. Except, dozens of soldiers stood on guard and in whatever positions their instructor told them to hold. Training, I guessed, as they ranked in lines of two and marched around the perimeter, all the while shouting orders the elder in the gold told them to.

I twisted uncomfortably in the saddle as we continued past the larger gate down the cobblestone road. Lure's clip-clap combined some undesirable twitchy feelings in my gut. The cold from before was just barely gnawing at my insides, stretching against my skin, making me feel like ice on unsteady ground, ready to fall off into the choppy waters.

My hands were getting the slightest perspiration, but as soon as I lifted my hand to gaze at my palm, I saw it dissolving into a cold evaporation. But, I wiped my hands on my jeans anyway, feeling a little more than peeved.

"Come on," the blonde dropped her hood and shook her head as we continued toward the wooden bridge that had already been lowered beforehand, "We'll get you a place to stay for the time being."

I furrowed my eyebrows, "You know, you don't have to do this. I don't see why you need me as a guest. My curse isn't exactly a problem's of the Royal Family, right?"

She slowed down her horse to look at me. There was a grim expression on her face, and her eyes were undoubtedly clouded over. I felt a chill run up my spine, causing me to shiver from the sudden needle-pricking feeling that encased my body, sending jolts across my skin. I felt a little more than scared, now. The feeling was too surreal to comprehend. My head swam from the adrenaline rush.

"You are wrong, Jade," she remarked, cocking her head, "The Sheikah race have always protected our family. Without them, we would be…" But then she stopped.

I gripped Lure's reigns harder as I spoke, "What are you getting at exactly?"

She glanced behind her before turning to me, "We can talk more inside."

So, without me needing to lead him, Lure followed obediently into the castle, after Zelda. Darkness passed under the stone arch, leaving me in complete silence as well and only Lure's hooves to beat onto the hard tile underneath.

Torches fell short of flaming light from where they stood along the walls as I went by; the flames dying ever so slowly as the palpable frigid air from my body encased the entire room. Even before I hadn't been this cold, this rigid and torn with eerie thoughts that something was definitely wrong. But, now I did, and I wasn't exactly sure what it was either.

From farther above I could see large, crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Twisted gold held all the pieces in place, glowing along with the candles lit in the holders. My only light was from them, and I watched them steadily to see if they too would die out on me.

"Where are we?" I asked.

I waited a few seconds for an answer, but none came. She was no longer in front of me, leading the way. I couldn't hear her horse's pit-pats on the carpet; just Lure's, but even that seemed to have been muted out.

I tried squinting as I called for her. The dim corridor seemed bare, empty. I wanted to kick myself for not paying attention to where she had gone off. It was like a bad nightmare where everyone I knew and love disappeared before my eyes, no goodbye, no hesitation.

And no answer.

I sighed and slumped down on Lure's saddle. He continued to trollop at a steady pace while I strained my eyes to see the tall, arched windows covered by dark velvet curtains. Every now and then a statue's form could be seen in between the curtained windows. I looked away before my eyes could play tricks on me.

"Anyone there?" I voiced. My echo resounded down the hall. I wasn't sure where I was anymore. Not even the light from the chandeliers could clearly indicate how far I was in the corridor or where it even ended.

"Link? Zelda? Isabella…? Damn it!" I cursed another time and, "Anyone!"

My spine prickled, my skin felt tight, my muscles turned rigid. I could feel the hair on my arms and at the back of my neck stand on edge. A bluish hue filmed over my eyesight. I shut my eyes tight, trying to make it go away as the burning sensation filled my eyes. But it wouldn't leave, and I forced my eyes to open, to look for someone, and call and scream for help.

Kenny's name was stuck in my throat. I just couldn't say it, couldn't ask him to come. I didn't want to kill him, but even so there was something utterly wrong.

Lure stopped his canter and I tried to urge him on. He whinnied and shook his head. I growled, feeling the irritation welling inside of me more than it should have. When I jumped off of him, I landed perfectly to the floor. My fingers grazed the cold tile. I could feel the vibrations of someone walking. _Click, clack, click, clack._ Something jangled along with the footsteps, as if trying to make a musical tune.

"Who's there?" I called, and then suddenly surprised myself at how firm my voice sounded.

"Would you really want to know?" A deep female voice replied. I twirled around to face the direction from where I thought it came from.

"Yeah," I snarled, wanting to gnarl the person in two if she didn't show herself. I could feel eyes penetrating my back. She wasn't in front of me anymore.

"You should be familiar with me, I think." She said. Her voice was throaty, hoarse, but very deep and persuasive. I believed her easily, but she was way too close for comfort.

"I don't think I am." I muttered, turning around on my heels again.

Yeah, she was there.

"Oh, please," I felt a warm breeze from where she spoke- like she had waved her hand maybe, "You do not remember the last known Sheikah to protect the Royal Family? The one whose village lies just beyond this town?"

"Oh…" I inhaled deeply, feeling breathless as my body felt the urge to jump in the air and tackle her to the ground, "Impa, it's nice to finally meet you."

The smirk in her voice was evident, "I wish I could say the same."

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:- Good? Bad? Hope you all enjoyed!!

Thanks for the reviews, y'all!

True Blue- lol. Thanks for reviewing! Haha, I guess in the next chapter she just might. And don't worry, you'll all find out what happens soon… I think…mwuahah..ahah… :-D

P.S those interested can check out my journal at deviantart for more info on the Seeing Truth trilogy- check out coverart, fanart, etc etc.


	15. Bloodlust

Suggestion: listen to "Topless" by Breaking Benjamin while you read. 

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 14: Bloodlust

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There was this feeling in my body, like something worming its way under my skin, crawling, gnawing, forcing me to move in ways I really didn't want to. My skin was tight, stretched to accommodate the scar as it deepened in its inky blackness, like a dark abyss of road stretching across my bluish skin. My eyes were frozen open; I wanted to blink, but it was as if the cold cell of every tissue and ligament in my muscle refused to move, refused to flex and stretch, and close and regain some sort of way to keep my burning eyes from drying out.

And after a few seconds, my eyesight began to adjust, but- not exactly in a normal way. Well, maybe if we used more than just ten percent of our brain, anyway. In a bluish tint, I could see things so much sharper. The little details of the cracks in the stonewall inched up toward the dark ceiling where the twisted metals of gold and silver weaved together to hold candles and pieces of sharp crystal. The candles dripped with hot wax, leaving a puddle around the holder, creating icicles of lumpy wax underneath. The flames flickered again and again, threatening to slip away into the darkness that nearly enveloped it and the crystals that reflected the light. I could have sworn I caught sight of my reflection, blue and cold and looking like a corpse that had been left in the freezer- excluding the ice that would have probably frozen on my eyelashes and hair.

I saw Impa, too. A dark hue enfolded her; her eyes were threatening, angry. I hated those eyes. There was a long sword in her hand. It radiated a bitter taste in my mouth and I crinkled my nose at the sight of the violet tint it gave off. She was about to kill me, I realized. And where did this leave me?

Dead…

Yeah. That's true.

But, what exactly went wrong here?

Sure, I wanted to kill her. I mean, my heart was racing faster than even Kado or the mile run in Gym _combined_ ever could. Adrenaline rushed just to get my hands around her throat, let my icy palms touch her skin, freeze her, let those eyes stop moving, stop staring at me so eagerly…

"You want to kill me, Jade Walker?" she scoffed, her knuckles whitening as she gripped the sword's hilt even harder. She was enjoying this, indefinitely; "Are those senses finally kicking in?"

"What do you want from me?" I growled, forcing my balled fists into my pockets. It was getting harder by the second to resist movement.

"My job," she began slowly, as if talking to a toddler, her lips twisting into a smile while she cocked her head, which seemed to only lower my demeanor, "is to keep the Royal Family, and my kind, safe. Granted, a certain family that has descended from my line has crossed the borders of recognition, defeating any means of actually proving to be nothing but scum in our eyes. And to think, after my departure to the heavens, that his _sons_ would be the next protector."

My lips parted slightly, when I realized just whom she was talking about. But when I tried forming words, I just couldn't; I felt as though I would lash out at her, start a dreadful fight, and do something reckless. Oh, say, kill myself.

"You know who I'm speaking of?" her eyebrows quirked upward, stretching her tanned skin slightly. For a second I thought the silver-hued tattoos below her eyes glistened, as if she were crying. But she sounded nothing close to it. "Of course you do," she chuckled, placing her free hand on her armor-clad hip, "And you thought you were keeping the Blake bloodline a secret- only telling your human friend, and Link, of course."

I narrowed my eyes at her, and barely able control my shaking. She was crossing the line. She wasn't the fearing, brave ally like last time; she was completely my enemy. Great… Impa…as an enemy…

"By the way," she raised her hand in a dismissive gesture, not for one second ruining the intimidating fighting stance she was displaying, "We found a friend of yours snooping around. Funny, he happens to be one of the criminals we've been searching for in the past two years."

I could only send her one facial expression of confusion, still doubting if I could control my sudden instincts to just pounce on her. Just as she snapped her fingers, my knees buckled from all the pressure and the aching to halt movement. And when I fell, when my hands groped the soft red carpet underneath, a light shone across the hall. It nearly blinded my sensitive eyes, forcing me to wince while watching Impa's form glow in the haloing light. She was still smirking, but her silver-haired head was turned toward the large oak door at least a hundred or so feet behind her, in my direction. Familiar sounds of soldiers clanking their way through the corridor resounded against the walls, creating echoes in the dark as they approached. They dragged someone along with them, bound, gagged, and completely motionless.

As if the temperature couldn't go lower and my body feeling as though it would die from exhaustion, it happened. Feeling like Antarctica trapped in a box, there was no wondering why I couldn't move under any condition other than the undying thoughts of red eyes and gruesome ways to get rid of it.

Impa snapped her fingers, _clack_- pounding in my ears. They dropped the body and it went down in a clattering heap. A tinge of violet blotted it in a deep hue, but nothing else happened. The person there didn't even stir, hardly a breath. And as I took one to try and calm my nerves, to try and keep me alive just a little longer, I could smell it; the coppery smell of something spilling to the floor, staining the carpet a darker red.

Maybe it was a whimper that escaped my lips, or a groan, but I couldn't dare to walk over there, feel the relief wash over my muscles when I really didn't want it to. Guilty for feeling this way was worse, especially when I crawled my way over to the body.

Impa watched quietly, and I knew in a second she could cut my head off. With no weapon, there was nothing I could do, so what difference would it make to just crawl over there?

Two soldiers made a five-foot radius around me and continued past. I knew from the way they clacked their tongues that they were taking Lure away. He had been completely calm through everything. Even the stench of death had been blotted away. His pit-pat on the carpet resided a few seconds later. I felt like screaming; force them to drop his reigns. My only way out was Lure; even if it was him that had actually brought me here. And then there was that nagging feeling in my mind. Yeah, Lure had never listened to me. His only owner was Zelda. I was just being lured, without realizing it.

My body ached, my mind raced, _Kill her, kill her…_ It repeated over and over. I was on my own.

At first, when I saw the dark, black hair- I thought of Kenny. Of course, Kenny had been in my mind all along, but to see him there, so lifeless. How could they? And I could already smell the stench of death rising. A Sheikah so easily brought down by one of his own, lay all alone now. What separated them from humankind, now?

"It's a shame, too," Impa sighed, shaking her head slightly, "He would have fit perfectly in the castle."

It was here that I really wished to close my eyes, turn around, and run. But my body refused because the closer I got to him, the more relief that untied the knots in my arms, my legs, my neck, and stomach. My heart was still wrenched with anticipation. A part of me wanted to touch the black hair that used to be stuck about in all directions. Now it was matted with blood, no longer like I really wished to see it.

Then relief and agonizing confusion washed over me at the same time, and I just had to lift my hand, feel it shake uncontrollably as I brought my fingertips centimeters away from Ryuichi's face. If it was a joke, I had been very well fooled. And as guilty as I had been before, was nothing compared to the guilt I felt after feeling the anxiety burst into release.

"It's surprising how sickening it is to watch you drink in all that blood." Impa said. I craned my neck slowly to meet her gaze. Her bright eyes were tautened in my direction, the red still glowing in the torchlight. It wasn't shocking that I had completely forgotten the half-dozen soldiers lined to the side, there expressions covered by the shining helmets.

My throat felt dry and my lips were chapped, but I forced to croak out words, to say something to a monster that had just killed someone I very well knew.

"I thought your purpose…" my voice went hoarse and I cleared it, "was to keep your kind safe."

Her teeth glistened for the one second she smiled, "And I am. Scum like this- helping the enemy. John should have taken care of you from the second we knew there was a threat."

"And…" I gulped, feeling excess saliva in my mouth for no reason other than that I was still more flexible than I was before, and not to mention that it didn't feel like Antarctica in a box anymore. No, it just felt like Alaska in a box. "And… you… found out- when?"

"About six years ago- when we sent John Blake to search for you." She replied, "Which was a mistake to begin with. With his past history, I would think it would be nothing to rid a child- so helpless."

"And what about Zelda?" I blurted out.

Her eyebrows narrowed. "What about the _princess_?"

"Well, she was ten, too, wasn't she? You saved her from Ganon for seven years, you…" I tried to explain, but she interjected.

"You confuse me with my ancestor, Jade." She sighed, "Our kind continues our race, and let the legends continue as well. Zelda and Link are related. During Ganon's reign, they were merely of the same bloodline."

"Hylian…" I muttered. She nodded.

"Over time the Sheikah race has grown, after finding the Blake bloodline in the mountains, and another kind in the desert- we've merged. Unfortunately, the Blakes escaped."

"So you couldn't kill them." I rasped, my throat dry. Cold air whipped down my throat. I was thirsty.

She smirked dryly, "And did I mention we caught the brother as well? It seems both of them were protecting you… possibly…from us…?"

A pang of anger wrenched my chest and I charged at her, running at a faster pace than I could have ever managed before. But before my fist could connect with her jaw, she drew back. I stumbled; tripping over her outstretched foot, and then colliding with the hard wall. Slumping to the ground, I watched in horror as she raised her sword high, ready to slash at my neck.

Brushing aside the ringing in my ears that left me with little time to react wasn't easy when there was a raging Sheikah ready to kill me, and when I tried to knock her down with my leg she merely flinched- just slightly. Her eyes gleamed, and I could see my horror-struck expression as I stared.

"Stupid…" she began to murmur.

And then there was a loud boom, an echo, and everything went black. The flames had been blown out as the oak doors from where the soldiers had entered slammed shut, but there was no gust, not even the coldness in my body could have done it- that is, until it began to seep through my skin a second after. Another Sheikah was close, and this time the person was alive, for sure.

Impa growled, and I could hardly familiarize her silhouette in front of me. I took that as a chance to run, despite the fact that she could see me in the darkness. So, I ran blindly across the corridor where the half a dozen soldiers were scrambling to protect themselves. There was no light, and when I began to smell something coppery in the air, like a magnetic charge living off the freezing temperature, I knew something was definitely up. For one, there was no way in hell Impa would mistakenly kill Hylian soldiers.

In this darkness, as I pressed my cold back against the cold corner, I could see vivid forms crumpling to the floor; metal clanked, bodies fell in a heap, and blood stained the rug. I shivered uncontrollably, my body pushing me to walk, to leap, and to tear something apart. It was confused; it wanted Sheikah blood, not Hylian blood. A faint blur zoomed past and that was all it took.

Feeling the faint gust and a familiar scent launched me straight into the dark blur that passed. Someone grunted under me as I tackled him to the floor- guessing the person to be a him- just because of the familiarity as I was grappled around the neck and forced to the floor. I writhed, trying to break free, but even now, when I tried reaching for this Sheikah- to tear him apart, I just couldn't reach.

"How did you get away, traitor?" Impa snarled from somewhere across the room.

"Let me go!" I croaked, wishing my legs were free to kick him away. He pressed against me, his scent overwhelming as my body went numb from the closeness. His familiar hands released my neck and wrapped around my wrists, forcing them down to my side- near my head. Dark, red orbs glistened ever so faintly. My body went into a near convulsion, ready to scratch them out as I struggled harder. A growl was building in my throat and I had to avoid thinking about the strands of hair pricking my eye.

"It is a little too late to make up for what you've done," the gray-haired Sheikah was closing in. I could hear her stumble when she passed the fallen soldiers. Anxiety overwhelmed her. "And you kill more. Was it nothing when I killed your brother?"

The weight on me lifted, leaving me free to inhale without drowning in complete ecstasy from more than just lust- but lust for his blood. It was as if boulders collided right in front of me as the two Sheikahs looked as though they rammed each other, clashing with swords and letting some unexpected vivid sparks fly. They were fighting each other, and I wished more than ever to tear them apart- so I could take them down one by one.

There was banging at the door, soldiers were yelling for reinforcements- and something about breaking the door open. I glanced behind me, toward the end of the corridor, and saw three of the statues knocked down in front, unbroken still. And then I had a sudden idea- one that would either benefit me, or benefit them, or none of us.

With my body still aching, I staggered toward one of the curtains, seeing its outlines quiver in hesitant movements as the immortals battled. I didn't dare look at them, afraid I would get carried away. I bit my lip and groped for the soft, silken material. My fingers slipped slightly, still numb, but I nevertheless held onto it as if for dear life. Unable to blink, I glanced swiftly behind me, to check if they were there, then suddenly drew back the curtain. Three layers of fine material drew back with a heave, the rings sliding on the bar above the arched window as if grating against rugged teeth.

My eyes blurred near blindness, dark spots where the sun was shining high above the horizon dotted my vision. I looked away from the window and toward the two fighting. I couldn't see anything, other than that they hadn't stopped struggling. I guess it was just I then that had horrible vision with the light. I groaned, wishing they could just stop.

The pain stretched across my skin like a third-degree burn, as if aching for something cool and warm at the same time to nourish, something to calm it down and keep the aching away. It wouldn't leave, my body urged movement, and my brain was finally ceasing the thoughts that helped drive away the need to see their blood.

Relentlessly, I dropped to the floor.

Anything to keep it away…

But I crawled, my fingers clawing the rug in the general direction of the heavy breathing and grunting and anger that flushed through the air, igniting my senses to do something I didn't ever think I would want to do.

_Kill them_, my mind screamed. It wouldn't stop. I had to listen.

I would do anything for it all to just go away.

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Ooh, conflict. I think... Anyway, thank you all for reading and reviewing! You guys are awesome. Thought I'd update early cause this wasn't exactly my all time favorite chapter and I wouldn't have time to over the weekend- I realized.

Lindadoodle- thank you! And haha, I guess she at least tried to. :-)

True Blue- Thanks! Lol. Do you mean, setting-wise? They're in the castle- entrance sort of. Eheh, maybe. lol.


	16. Second's Glitch

Suggestion: "Dancing with the Devil" by Breaking Benjamin. Okay okay, last BB song okay? But these two songs just really seem to fit. No seriously, go listen to them… No, really. If you don't have it- go to youtube and check it out.

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 15: Second's Glitch

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My eyes were blurring, unable to blink or twitch. There was just no end to it- unless I was rid of them. In itching pain throughout my body, burning as though I was being dunked in a tub of ice-filled water, I felt my muscles relax as I relentlessly crawled forward. My neck popped slightly as I craned it upward, trying to get a view of them clashing against each other.

My muscles stretched across my features, forming a smirk. This was it. The pain would be over. One touch, I reminded myself. I just couldn't look into their eyes. No, definitely not his.

Kenny growled, kicking Impa away. She dodged him, and then swung her sword. It cut through his black shirt, tearing the front, forcing blood to well from the scratch. He didn't wince, but he had to back away. Her onslaught was coming, her eyes clouded red- the whites gone. Angry, I thought. But she couldn't be as angry as I. I would get her, and those eyes would stop glowing.

Only a few feet away, I cramped my legs under me, preparing to pounce. My hands felt less stiff from before, but flexing either way. I could already imagine the flesh under my fingers, grasping and choking and doing something.

When I saw her smile, as she wiped the sweat from her brow, I jumped. She didn't see me, hiding in the dark, away from the sunlight. She just saw me hit her, and tackle her to the floor. A blue blur, maybe- instead of black. She gasped. Her head hit the floor hard, not the rug, but the tile. I could hear her skull crack. She groaned curses at me, but even her sluggish movements weren't enough to throw me off.

I felt my body twitch and I fought to keep the pain away.

There was still the sound of the soldiers pounding away at the door with something other than their fists; maybe they were a mob. Outside I could see the reinforcements from the field running toward the windows, ready to shatter them to get inside. I could smell Ryuichi's rotting corpse ten feet away, blood still oozing, letting my body relax to a minimum. Impa was warm, her heartbeat erratic as I felt her pulse on her neck as I wrapped my hands around it. Her skin turned pale, a bluish tint lining her veins. They crawled both directions, all over her face. She went rigid, her lips quivering. I saw that her eyes had faded back to normal- just red irises. I still looked away. She was helpless, and I felt powerful.

My heartbeat relaxed; just as hers did, and I could feel her body draining of life, feel that her blood wasn't circulating through her deep blue-tinted veins as quickly as it should. There was no more energy left. My mind's eye was coming back. That voice didn't demand me to kill her anymore- she was already half way there.

But while I sat over her, feeling the warmth of the afternoon sun slowly take effect into the room, leaving everything else in backdrop mode, I felt something else. That foreboding feeling, as though my brain was telling me to do something- but it couldn't figure out what it was. That is, until half my body froze rigid. Close by, I could hear him. How could I forget him?

"Jade," he whispered guardedly, hoarsely, "Don't turn around."

The ignorant part of my brain, the useless side, the side that had been taken over by the scar didn't seem to care what he said. I jumped off of Impa, my grip escaping the feeling of what almost seemed like normality. I just saw his eyes, glowing red like Impa's had been. I charged after him, ready to tackle him as well. His eyes widened, and before I could stop myself, think this through, I felt it.

What the most horrible thing about this was, that I remembered this feeling so much better than I had of anything before. I felt almost human again, when that sword pierced my side. Everything, the blood rushing out, the numbing pain, the overwhelming thought that I had just failed- again.

I blinked, staring at the dagger penetrating my side.

"You used the same…dagger?" I croaked, my throat no longer dry but undoubtedly cracking.

He shook his head, not looking up at me, "I told you not to turn around."

I felt cold as I fell to the floor, my body still tense, however. The urge to kill him was still there, in the back of my mind, mixing with the other thoughts that drifted in and out of how I was actually-finally, going to die.

"You'll heal, Jade," he whispered, sheathing his sword. It grated, ringing in my ears and blocking out the sound of the soldiers' footsteps as they approached from all sides.

I groaned when he knelt down. I shut my eyes tight, fighting away my indecisiveness of whether I should get him back for what he just did. There was no chance, however, and the thoughts went away, as he pushed me onto my uninjured side.

"Hold still…" I heard him mutter. His warm hand pressed near the wound and I winced, grinding my teeth so I wouldn't scream. He gripped the hilt, positioned his fingers, and yanked. I cried out in surprise as the dagger pulled free. The cold blood pooled to the rug, staining and seeping in on both of my sides.

"I can't believe…you-…" I couldn't finish because everything went hazy after that. The image of the doors bursting open swayed right, then left, then right again. I groaned, ready to heave, but I couldn't remember what happened.

Because everything went black, and even his eyes had disappeared.

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Every few seconds I heard something rattle near my ears, like a _clank, clank, clank_. It was annoying, and when I tried moving my hands, to try and cover my ears, the sound grew louder. And when I tried to shake away the heavy feeling my body was getting, as though it were shackled down, I could hear the clattering sound again. Iron and iron together. I didn't get it. It was bad enough whatever I was lying on was hard as stone, but there was a rattling sound shocking my brain farther into a numbing ache of pain.

I tried to shift onto my right side, but a sudden pain jolted up my spine, forcing me cry out and retreat to my left side once again. Aggravated, I gave up. Finding out where I was didn't matter as much than to just get some rest. I felt like a mud puddle, too weak and muddled to move.

Maybe minutes past, but the pain in my side was too intense, forcing me to stay awake. I mumbled curses, finally resorted to open my eyes and stare at my shackled wrists.

"Wonderful…" I breathed in, before cutting it short when the throbbing shot up as if the dagger was sticking my side again.

But the good thing about any of this, was, I wasn't cold. Not at all. The scar was still there, black as ever, and ready to take over me, again. But, I felt, human. Either that, or I had finally become used to being so frigid.

If only it lasted longer.

Seconds later, after realizing I was in a dank, dark cell with no windows, and one torch near the wooden door across from me, I felt that foreboding feeling again. My mind was going into danger mode, telling me to stand up, to fight what was coming. The coldness started at my back, spreading along the lines of the scar, as if it were its own creation, wrapping around my body to control me completely, without my consent.

However, this time I fought. Whoever it was, could take a second look. I wasn't evil; the goddesses were evil. I would get them for this, some way. If they could talk to Hylians like Zelda or Ganondorf or whatever sage- then I would do whatever it took to find them, and make them pay.

The wooden door swung open and a rush of cold air froze me in place. Except, the cold came from me, not the outside. Kenny stood in the doorway, his face blank of any expression; dark circles rounded the bottom of his eyes, his eyes were slightly bloodshot, and his hair was haphazard, no doubt from what happened earlier, and then probably hadn't bother to fix it. He had changed his shirt, now wearing a navy blue, long-sleeved turtleneck, and dark jeans. He didn't have his katana with him, but I was sure he had to be carrying the dagger somewhere on him.

I tried blinking, but my eyelids shot open on their own accord when he stepped inside. His eyes watched me warily as I balled my hands into fists.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, glancing at my side.

My lips twitched; ready to say something even though that voice was screaming for me to shut up. "I…um…yeah…" I barely managed. He slid to a sitting position on the farthest wall away from me, so that he could watch me if I decided to jump.

"I'm sorry about stabbing you," he said, a sympathetic tone in his voice, as he smiled slightly, "You didn't give me a chance."

I swallowed, feeling the last remnants of saliva drying out in my mouth. "Why can't I…blink?"

I probably looked like a maniac.

He cocked his head, and I tried to avoid his gaze. It was hard to, when I wanted to hide the "windows" to my soul for at least a couple seconds.

"Sheikah are swift," he said methodically, "One blink can ruin your track on one. With your heightened senses, even losing one second counts. Course, kills your eyesight if you're around us for too long."

Great, my eyesight already sucked.

"I…" I cringed, feeling my muscles aching to move. The pain at my side was worse and I glanced down at it, to see it bandaged under my torn shirt. "Th-thanks…"

"I should be thanking you," he laughed slightly, "for giving Impa a glimpse of what worse things could have happened if you had let me deal with her."

Memories from before flooded back, remembering Ryuichi's motionless body, a glimpse of a nightmare- if I ever saw Kenny that way.

"I-I'm so-sorry…" my tongue felt like lead and I bit it, hoping that would do something. It didn't really, but at least I didn't bleed.

"For what?" he grimaced, "Ryuichi? He wasn't supposed to be there, you know? My parents sent him, when they realized I was delaying…"

"Killing me?" I offered quickly, before I could bite my tongue again.

He raised his eyebrows for a quick second before continuing, his gaze now elsewhere; "He was going to do it himself, but you already left with Ariella and them. I couldn't risk it. She and your other friends had nothing to do with this."

I tried to form words, but only a whimper escaped. I groaned, feeling like I was being tortured again.

He didn't seem surprised though, as if he was expecting this. "Do you want me to explain a few things? Before you heal?"

I nodded stiffly, curtly. My body was rejecting negligible thoughts to quiet my system down. My heart was racing, and I had hardly moved a muscle, or possibly had been torturing them by forcing myself not to move, like trying to stop a plane from moving and it ends up burning fuel without doing one thing.

He sighed as he slouched down slightly, letting his one leg stretch out in front of him while the other was bent upward at the knee. "We didn't know they were following us; we didn't think they'd leave out of their safe haven, you know? But, they did. We were too busy with keeping out of sight, so you wouldn't know we were there, but even then- you knew something was up. If we were far enough away, or maybe closed off completely from you, you would feel completely normal- human- at least for the most part."

I had enough energy to furrow my eyebrows at him, as if asking what in hell was he talking about.

"The reason you get so cold is when we're around. It's the scar telling you there's prey around. You go into psycho mode and go after any Sheikah around." I glared at him, but he continued, knowing I wouldn't interrupt him either way; "Sometimes you can control it more than other times. If the Sheikah is just as or nearly as insane as you are, then you go full-scale psychotic. But, if you're injured, the powers go to a minimum and you can resist more than when you're healed. And you heal quicker than humans, almost as fast as us. But if you're hyped and something gets you going, you heal faster and turn back to nutty-vampire-Sheikah-bloodsucker? Get it?"

My laugh was hoarse, but I continued on anyway, "You… must be super calm, then?"

He smiled and replied sarcastically, "Always."

"So…" I tried clearing my throat, but it only made it sore so I dealt with the cracked voice and asked, "Why, exactly? Wh-who's 'they'?"

"You don't understand it yet, do you?" he questioned before letting out a small chuckle.

I didn't need to answer.

"Just because the goddesses chose you, doesn't mean they like you," he retorted, "For all we know, they could have chosen you because you were weak. They can't undo what's already been done, and they'll do anything to protect the Royal Family."

"So…" my voice changed from one octave to another, whisper to cracking, "If I kill off the Sheikah race, the Royal Family-y…will be un-unprotected?"

He nodded, "And when my father didn't kill you when he had the chance, they handed it to my brother, and then he handed it to me."

"And you still…" I inhaled, taking my time, "still…haven't…"

He didn't continue, and I tried focusing on the wall behind him, following the cracks along the stone all the way up into the ceiling only about ten feet high.

"So…" I tried stretching my arms, still rigid but at least moving, "Where are we?"

"Just up in the mountains," he responded sullenly, his eyes half-closed as he gazed at the ground.

"And where's Kado?" my voice cracked when I said his name.

Kenny watched me from the corner of his eyes, contemplating for a few seconds before he spoke, "In the castle."

My hopes dropped. "They-they took him, didn't…they?"

He shrugged, "I would have stopped them, but I didn't want your friends to see me, or for them to. Not all of them are involved. Ariella, Zeus, and Leander have nothing to do with it."

He hadn't mentioned her. "What a-about Neus?" He shifted his position and grunted, no doubt from the injuries he had probably sustained from fighting with Impa. After all, I could see a purplish bruise peeking above his collar.

"With them… Sorry." He muttered the last part.

"N-no…" I said, but realizing my hyped-up burst was finally wearing thin, "You warned me."

"Not good enough," he smiled, "I should have been a little more clear."

I tried shrugging, but I only ended up in a fetal position, trying to fight off all those thoughts again.

"I'll let you go," he began, standing up, "But you have to fight it off a bit longer. Give it time to heal, though. Don't go rushing off for a fight, understand?"

I watched him warily before he knelt behind me, doing something with the chains.

"Be more careful, will you?" Something warm and soft planted on my cold cheek, freezing me more and more like ice.

"I'll try…" I whispered hoarsely. Four clicks suddenly followed and a slight breeze hit my face.

The coldness resided, as if evaporating into the air and disappearing. The room felt empty.

But I could blink again, and when I did, I realized that Kenny was gone.

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Updating earlier than I thought, I know. But you guys were so confused. I didn't think it would be that confusing. Yeah, it's Kenny- I gave outright clues to who it was. And don't hesitate to ask about something you don't understand, though. But sometimes you guys will just have to wait for the next chapter- I wouldn't want to cram everything in one, you know? And look closer, please. I know, I screwed up with the end of Seeing Lies, but I promise this end won't be as confusing.

True Blue- thank you! Yeah, guess you read my mind. Lol. And no need to be sorry. Just glad you took the time to read.

Lindadoodle- thank ya! Yeah, it's him. Maybe I should make these things more clear. :(


	17. Who Are You?

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 16: Who Are You?

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The castle was in terrorist watch mode. Soldiers were guarding every possible entryway and everything in between. Too bad they're idiots.

It was easy getting past the guards at castle town: jumping in a wagon of late shipment Lon Lon Milk. No doubt that the short, bald, beer-bellied man in the front was Talon, and half-dozing. For crying out loud! Who delivers milk in the middle of the night?

Well, it was luck anyway to have him come by just as I was making my way out of Kakariko Village: the dirt-paths and shingle roofs and uneven stone steps nothing compared to the one in the game. But I made it down without a Goron squashing me to the ground. So, there's a plus side.

I was back on the hill- the supposed one where I'd slept under the stars the first night back in Hyrule, the place where Kado had found me "snoring". There was the stone bridge above the gate. But I couldn't cross because there were guards everywhere on the field, and on the trail.

A sigh escaped my chapped lips and I plopped down on the prickly grass.

"What to do, now?" I whispered to myself, and then half-expecting voices to rush inside my head like last time.

A cricket chirped somewhere nearby and I narrowed my eyes in annoyance. Then something shuffled below, and I realized someone was climbing the vines. I crouched low, my knees bent so if need be, I could tackle the person.

But then I saw the mass of golden blonde hair and my eyes widened in a sudden hope welling in my chest.

"Link!" I whispered as quietly as I could manage.

He smiled, his eyes twinkling slightly.

"How did you know I was here?" I asked, falling back on my behind as he climbed the rest of the way up.

I watched as he took out his notepad and pencil and scribbled something down. "_I was walking back from town when I saw you jump out of that wagon."_

I chuckled nervously, "Yeah, about that…"

"_What happened, Jade?"_ His expression was full of worrisome curiosity as he furrowed his eyebrows in question.

"Well," I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck while trying not to wince from the dull pain at my side. It wasn't as bad as before, but moving every five seconds did have a few painful side-affects…Side-affects…haha… "I can't come back to the castle, but, well…umm…"

Link cocked his head, as if urging me to continue.

"Kenny told me they had Kado somewhere," I said in a rush, "And I need to get him out of there."

He narrowed his eyes in confusion before writing something down again. "_They? Do you mean- my sister?"_

I shrugged, feeling guilty for having to say it; "Yeah, and Impa." His eyes widened at that.

"_Impa? I haven't seen her all day. Where is she?"_

"Uh…" I muttered my reply, "Probably recovering…"

"_From what?"_

"We had a slight…quarrel… She…tried to kill me…and Kenny."

He looked about ready to burst out in complete bewilderment. Maybe he knew suspicious things were going on, but probably not this far.

"Listen, Link. You can't let them know I'm here, all right?" I said.

He nodded before flipping a page and scrawling something else. _"Isabella is doing better. Zelda said the tonic would react differently to all different types of races. I guess she wasn't strong enough for it."_

I shook my head, finally realizing something that should have been painstakingly clear before. "I think they knew what would happen to her, and they sent you with her to the castle ahead of us, so you wouldn't be in the way when I had to face Impa. You didn't know about the fight that was happening, Link. You were too busy with Isabella, weren't you?"

He glanced down at the grass, his gestures a little contemplative as he thought.

"I'm not saying you did anything wrong." I added, "Besides, I was stupid. I didn't listen. Isabella was right."

He smiled. "_You __were__ being stupid. Sorry for leaving you like that."_

"I deserved a beating."

"_How'd you get away?"_

"Kenny," I replied, grimacing, "helped me escape."

"_He didn't hurt you, did he?"_ He waited for my answer, leaning forward slightly as I read the note. I shook my head, lying, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"You think you can help me get in? And get out- with Kado?" I asked hopefully.

He pursed his lips for a second or two before nodding.

"Well, thanks, prince." I remarked with a grin.

He narrowed his eyes at me before pushing my shoulder playfully. I hid a wince from the pain in my gut and laughed. Under any other circumstances, I probably would have tackled him and given him a dead arm, but somewhere three hundred feet away there was a confused human and I had to get him out.

"We need a plan," I whispered, feeling a little hyperactive to get this "Mission Impossible" music in action.

He nodded and I smiled.

"Perfect."

XxxxXxxxX

Soldier at eleven o'clock, one standing at twelve, another at one o'clock… This was going to be tougher than I realized. With our spots picked out, our plans waiting to be put in motion, and my adrenaline rushing, this all began to feel like a bad idea. But at least we were doing something right for once.

Link casually strode down the road toward the castle gate, his hands stuffed in his pockets, trying to seem like he had sneaked out to stroll along the deserted streets. The soldier watched him suspiciously, but what could he do? He was the prince, but from the look he was getting, I doubted a much liked one at the moment. The guard panged the butt of his spear on the ground and the metal gate creaked open.

My cue.

Just as Link stepped past the gate, I rushed by from behind him, and caught him by surprise. He twirled around and lost his balance, taking a fall to the ground and dragging me with him. I writhed uselessly, not giving much effort as he fixed himself so that he was on top of me, holding me in place with my hands twisted on my back. I winced from the pain at my side as it chaffed against the ground, but otherwise tried to keep a straight face.

Guards rushed around us, amazed.

Idiots had been keeping an eye out for me all day. Idiots didn't know this was a trick. Now idiots were congratulating Link for catching me.

So far, so good...

Link shuffled uncomfortably when one of the soldiers made a rude comment of keeping me somewhere or other for the night. Yuck. I'd have to remember to get some glue and pour it into that dude's helmet.

"What's this?" a gruff voice bellowed. I glanced up to see a guard in golden armor, and I suddenly remembered the general from Meyenn, the one that had pried me away from Kado.

I growled at him, narrowing my eyes to feign anger.

"Caught the criminal, Your Highness?" he asked, amused. I really didn't like his tone.

I felt Link shift a little and from the corner of my eyes I saw him nod. Ah, perfect prince. From this angle he looked cute, too.

"Cal," he called, "Take her in."

Link shook his head, pulling me up suddenly from my wrists but doing little to actually harm me.

"You want to bring her in yourself, huh, boy?"

Oops, guess he slipped. Link didn't seem perturbed by it, and he merely nodded.

"Fine," the soldier in the gold grumbled, "But Cal will lead you to the cells."

I glimpsed at Link, but he was too focused on the soldiers as they parted. One shorter guard stood in front. He bowed slightly, his eyes narrowing at me for a few seconds before turning on his heels to lead the way.

We fell behind purposely, the soldier named Cal ten feet away now. Link loosened his grip on my arm, but every time Cal turned to glance at us he pushed me a bit and I stumbled. His look also changed to this angry, upright obnoxious look. As if he owned the place. And he did, technically, since he was- after all, the prince.

"It's this way, Your Highness," Cal said, his voice slightly muffled from the helmet over his head.

We climbed stairwell after stairwell, spiraling up and up until I thought we had reached the heavens maybe. But the farther we went up, the darker and colder and danker it became. The air smelled of mold and dirt and rust. The ceiling was barely distinguishable in the dark, and the walls were cracked with increasing pressure that was brought on by old age. Here and there, a torch had been lit against the wall; casting eerie shadows against the damp stone and making half our faces glow in the orange light.

I was too busy counting the crooked and sharp-edged steps as we climbed the fifth stairwell up to notice Link had let go of my arms and was now creeping past me, toward the soldier. Cal had for a while lost interest in watching behind him, probably realizing that the prince wasn't exactly a traitor… Well, technically… Okay, so, Cal would have to rethink his options here.

So, I followed. We were finally far up in the castle, so far away that they probably wouldn't hear a racket. Which was good- actually. Hell, I hadn't realized it until just now. Not only had Cal lost interest, trying to keep the lead pace- not so hard considering our so-called sluggishness all the way in the back, but so had I.

Link grabbed Cal's head and with one sudden force, banged it against the left wall- all without the soldier having enough time to react. I widened my eyes at this, shocked. Cal slumped to the steps, his armor clattering with him. I slowly lifted the helmet off his head, hoping he wasn't dead or anything.

A bruise was forming on his left temple, but there was no blood on his olive-skin or dark-cropped hair. I checked for his pulse. Nah, he was alive.

But, he would definitely need to reconsider his options.

Link knelt down and rummaged through Cal's belt, searching for something. He soon dangled a set of rusted keys on a large key ring and I smiled.

"Smart," I mused; giddy that this was going well.

He returned the gesture before grabbing my hand and dragging me the rest of the way up the steps. I huffed up, ready to scratch at my side.

Now, what had Kenny said about resting?

It was just a plain, wooden door like every other jail door that I've seen in Hyrule. It was down the five-foot long hall where a cold draft rose from the floor, forcing a chill to run up my spine.

Link glanced at me, anxious.

"What?" I questioned.

He pulled on his elf ear then walked faster toward the door.

"You hear something?" I whispered.

He rattled the keys, searching for the right one to fit through the rusted lock near the handle. My heart pounded as I walked in short circles, waiting for him to unlock the door. Chains rattled from the inside just as Link fit the right key in and I quickly rushed over to grab the door handle.

With a click, the door was unlocked. Link jumped out of the way as I pulled for the door to open. But, apparently, back in my human state it was a little harder to do that. He kept one hand on my own and one on the handle, and with combined effort, swung the damn door open.

The strong smell of mold and rust wafted up my nostrils, forcing me to cough as we stepped inside. So much for quickly and quietly, I guessed.

The cell was dark, and only about ten feet by ten feet. There were sections on every wall where pairs of rusty chains lay limp and unused for what seemed like years. Only one wall, to the right, was occupied. The place that was the farthest from the torchlight on the right wall was everything but void of a human being.

Because slumped and worn-down and scared there was Kado. His eyes were wide and blood shot, and under them there were dark circles. He had a small five o'clock shadow on his upper lip and his jaw and surrounding that as well. His skin had considerably paled and his clothes were crumpled and sagging. When his head snapped our direction, he jumped, as if he didn't recognize us.

I rushed over to him, hands trembling.

"Kado," I squeaked, "Are you all right? Please, tell me you're all right."

He gazed at me, looking confused.

"What did they do to you?" I asked, shaking my head as my hands hovered over his arms- the ones that dangled near his head because of the chains that suspended them by his wrists.

He continued to watch me, his eyebrows slowly furrowing.

"Please," I begged now, resting my hand on his cheek. He pulled away suddenly and I narrowed my eyes at him. "What happened, Kado?" I was getting a little irritated.

This time he glared at me, an unreadable expression crossing his features.

"Say something!" I pleaded, losing patience.

His lips parted and he retorted, "Who are you?"

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:-P "Whoooo aaarrre you??" CSI theme song. :-) Enjoy, y'all?

Lindadoodle- coolio then. Thanks for the review.

True Blue- No problemo. Glad you liked it. And thank ya for the review.


	18. Out But Bound

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 17: Out But Bound

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I could have stayed in that position forever: crouching low, knees bent, hands balled into fists, waiting anxiously for another response. Had I even heard correctly? I mean, why would he ask that? He wouldn't play a sick joke like that on me, right?

Yeah, I could have staid in that position, but his cold, hard gaze on me was bothering. And when Link tugged on the back of my shirt, I turned around to see his notepad inches away from my face.

"_I hear someone coming!"_ It read.

I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to think.

"All right," I whispered, trying not to meet Kado's angered gaze while I took hold of the chain and pulled. It didn't budge from the stone.

"You think you're Superman?" Kado leered, looking aggravated. I ignored him and focused on the shackles.

Unfortunately, they were too small to fit his hand through, even with oil or lotion or even butter involved. The locks were too complicated, and the entire thing was utterly rusted.

"What do we do, Link?" I sighed.

Link kneeled down next to me then gestured with a flick of his head for me to back away. I did as he said and jumped away and toward the door. As far as I knew, no one was approaching the stairwell.

The blonde steadied his feet on the cell floor, bent a little at his knees, gripped the chain a few inches from where it met the stone, and then pulled. Both Kado's and my reaction were the same: wide-eyed and awestruck. It didn't change either, as the Hylian pulled again- this time budging the stone probably a centimeter more than last time, which had moved it about less than half. The stone crumbled in dusty patches as he continued to pull on the chain.

I wanted to help him when I saw how he struggled, but it would probably be bad for the both of us.

He placed one foot on the wall and continued pulling on the chain. Something cracked and groaned and in a few mere seconds, the chain flew forward from all the pent up energy forced into it. As part of the wall crumbled, the chain flung forward. Its end was too heavy to drag all the way, but enough for the lashing middle part to hit my wound.

I cried out, feeling the stinging pain all over again. But Link and Kado were too busy with the chains, trying to get the other one well parted from the wall, to notice the bleeding at my side. Instead of standing there, trying not to let a whimper or another escape, I limped toward the door.

Footsteps resounded throughout. And it was a matter of time before the person saw the unconscious body of a soldier in a heap on the stairs.

"Hurry up!" I whispered, gritting my teeth so the sound of my pain wouldn't be evident when I spoke.

Stone crumbled again, but the chain didn't fly off as far as last time. Kado was free- from the wall, at least- and he stood up a bit dizzily before grabbing his head in one hand. The shackles followed, clanging with noise.

"I hear someone coming," I murmured, resting my back against the wall and taking deep breaths.

Link glimpsed down the stairs before fumbling for his notepad.

His usually neat handwriting was a little haphazard. _"Get ready to fight, okay?"_ He wrote.

I raised my eyebrows at him, "Kidding, right? I can't…" And then I stopped, and shook my head. "Fine," turning to Kado: "Use those chains good, dude." He narrowed his eyes at me and I looked away.

The footsteps grew louder, and that was when I realized it was just one person coming up the stairs. My body tensed anyway, my mind reeling in thoughts that roared, "Run, run, run" but all it translated into was "don't move."

Her hair seemed to glow more than usual, the slivers of blue that streaked her silky silver hair seemed to stand out significantly with the backdrop of dark grays and browns and blacks. She stepped inside gracefully, the dark blue tunic swaying at her ankles as she halted; her eyes widened when she took us in, her gaze roving from Link to Kado to me.

She furrowed her eyebrows and folded her arms across her chest as she spoke; "What in Farore's name is going on?"

Link flexed his arms again, making hand gestures to her. She shook her head and sighed.

"You can't do this, Link," she said, "Jade is-…" Her eyes shifted to me for a mere second, "She's dangerous." I pursed my lips when Kado glared at me like I had just eaten a bug or something.

"How dangerous?" Kado said.

She smiled slightly, "Very, and there's no controlling her."

"Really?" I snapped, "You seemed to try and do that only this afternoon, didn't you?"

She grimaced, "I'm sorry, Jade."

"Don't be," I snapped, "You lied to me. You made me think I could trust you, and Zelda, and Saria- and who else, huh? You didn't _have_ to bring me here…"

"It was Zelda who ordered it," she interjected, "I didn't have a choice."

"Everyone has a choice," I muttered. "Now, are you going to move so we can go?"

She watched me for a moment, her gaze contemplative as she cocked her head. "Where will you go?"

"Why should I tell you?" I said, "You'll just get the entire Hylian army after us."

"You should head south," she ignored me as she glanced at Link, "They won't search for you in Gerudo Valley. They know it's pointless- with those warriors and whatnot."

My hard gaze finally softened, "Why are you helping us?"

"You'll need to wait a few days before heading to the lake, again. Ariella will be waiting there for the four of you." She walked over to Kado, pulling something out of the folds of her tunic.

"Four?" I repeated. She drew out a key and took hold of Kado's shackled wrists. Two clicks and they clattered to the floor in a heap. The rusted key disappeared and she turned around to walk out.

She craned her neck slightly as she reached the doorway. One hand rested on the wooden doorframe, the view of her glittering wings nearly blinding me as they twitched. "Isabella is on the second floor. Link, you better get her out and help them. Zelda won't be too happy, you know?"

Link cocked his head, his eyes narrowed.

"Is he coming, too?" I asked.

I saw one side of her lips twitch upward, "I don't know. Ask him."

She disappeared down the stairwell, but I quickly followed her.

"What did you do to Kado?" I grimaced, trying to keep my calm and rest my left hand on the cold wall for support.

Her bright eyes glimpsed up at me as her peach lips parted; "I didn't do anything to him."

I opened my mouth to speak, but in a second, she was gone. The only light left came from the torches lighting the way. I groaned in aggravation then sat down on the step above the one I was standing.

"I guess you know where Isabella is," I called to Link, running a hand through my hair.

His steps resonated softly throughout the spiraling stairwell as he and Kado practically tiptoed around me. I muttered a few more curse words, but otherwise stood up and limped after them, trying to hide the scowl on my face every time a stinging pain lit my side.

XxxxXxxxX

Isabella was passed out stone cold on the feathery soft bed in the middle of castle's guest room. Or, should I say, "one of" the castle's guest rooms…

She groaned softly, as her eyebrows knitted together. She looked harmless, like she actually belonged in the room. A princess, of course. She had been one. Now I knew why Kenny put her in that position.

Link rushed over to her and I glanced behind me; Kado stood in front of the closed door, his eyes roving over Isabella's unconscious form. I sighed and began to pace back and forth on the stone floor, letting the heels of my sneakers sweep as I went along.

The curtains to the window swayed in the cool night wind, sending a chill up my spine. I swirled on my toes and headed toward the window, opposite from the bed where Link was shaking Isabella's shoulders, trying to wake her up.

I could see absolute darkness below. The forest was protected from intruders- a ten-foot gate surrounding the castle made sure of that. Farther, I could see Death Mountain and the familiar smoke ring blotting out half of the full moon.

"What's going on?" I heard Kado whisper from behind me.

I shook my head, "I knew it was a bad idea for you to come."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, slightly irritated.

I shook my head, "You don't remember a thing, do you?"

"I don't remember you," he replied, "and I don't remember how I got here."

"No, then," I muttered, glimpsing behind me.

Link had Isabella wrapped in his arms, her head lulling against his chest. She mumbled something and dug deeper in his sweater with her head.

"Where do we go, Link?" I asked him. He glanced around the room then headed past me, toward the window. "What are you doing?" I said, bewildered.

He leaned forward, checking below. He stepped back after a few seconds and glanced at me to gesture his head the window's direction.

I widened my eyes, "Are you insane? We can't go down there? What about Isabella?"

He smiled, and in this case- didn't mean anything good.

I shook my head and placed my hands on the windowsill to peer below. There was a slanted roof below, the stones displaced here and there to maybe allow some grip. Sighing, I swung one foot out.

"Give it all or nothing, right…?" I muttered, using the window frame for support as I lifted my other leg past the sill so that I was sitting down now with my legs swinging.

The slanted roof was harder to walk on than I thought. I had to crawl on my knees three feet from the edge to keep from falling below- the one place I didn't dare look until later. A turned-over piece of stone lay haphazardly on its side. I grabbed it and planted it next to me.

Link carefully shifted Isabella in his arms as he slowly edged toward the end of the windowsill. I stood up at an angle and trudged up to help him down. Kado was half on the windowsill as well; ready to hold any of us up just in case we fell.

"You picked a shitty place to escape through, Link." I said with a small smile as his one foot planted firmly on the roof. He grinned wryly, his gaze still set in front of him. With another foot down, he slid down all the way. But, he lost his balance and stumbled forward. I grabbed his shirt, forcing him sideways instead of backward. He lost his grip on Isabella and she slid forward. I let go of Link's sweater and reached for the brunette's collar just as her legs began to dangle over the edge.

"Link!" I rasped as I felt the roof go by under me. He reached over and grabbed onto my arm, dragging me towards him just as I used my other hand to hold onto Isabella's arm. She groaned slightly and I realized then how hot her skin was under my fingers.

"What in hell did they make her drink?" I growled, trying to keep my grip firm as she slid forward ever so slightly. I groaned, feeling as though my arms were going to be pulled out of their sockets.

Kado appeared from the side, his expression a little frantic as he reached out and grabbed Isabella by the shoulders to pull her back. I let go of her to flex my fingers, but when I tried to move, I realized Link was still holding onto my arm. Glancing behind me, I saw him gazing at Kado and Isabella and how the brunette was cradling the unconscious one.

The blonde pulled me back slightly so that I was nearly crushed against his chest. I sighed, feeling like a rag doll trying to be suffocated by a child to keep warm. _This isn't good_, I thought numbly.

"All right," I said, "Now to reach ground level, folks. All feelings aside... No, please. Don't cry. We'll make it."

"I think it's a shitty time to be sarcastic, don't you think?" Kado retorted.

"Don't use my language, ass hole." I grumbled, sidling to the edge of the roof to peer below.

"Nah," Kado sighed, his eyes narrowing to glare at me, "You're not dangerous. You're just a bitch."

"I just saved your sorry ass, Kado." I seethed, "And for acting like a jerk to me, I think acting like a bitch to you is just fine." Link placed a hand on my shoulder and I flinched away. He shook his head in a sympathetic gesture. I grumbled under my breath before leaning forward to inspect what was below.

"How about we just roll you off the edge like the Sleeping Beauty, eh?" he remarked with a smirk.

I scowled, "Funny, Prince Charming."

Link rolled his eyes before tapping my shoulder, the notepad in his other hand. I glanced at it. _"Not a bad idea."_

I rolled my eyes, "You are _not_ going to roll me off…"

"I think he means Sleeping Beauty, genius." Kado said bluntly, playing with Isabella's hair.

"Oh…" I muttered before letting out a nervous laugh. "Not at all."

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Eh, another chappie done. Hope you all enjoyed. Sorry for all the typos. I was too lazy to reread.

Ehem, no, Link isn't superhero. Reason for that will come in the next chapter, and so will Kado's mysterious amnesia. Patience, yeah?

Thanks for the awesome reviews, guys:-D

I've got a poll up but I'm not sure where it's supposed to show up so maybe check it out…wherever it is. Lata.


	19. Opposite Reaction

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 18: Opposite Reaction

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"Don't be a wuss!" I whispered with a hiss as Link and I watched Isabella's red-wrapped form hovering just over the edge of the roof.

"You make one more damn comment and I'll drop her head first!" Kado snapped, glaring at me as he eased Isabella forward.

I shrugged innocently and smiled, "I have no problem with that…egghead!"

Verbally abusing my crush when he had no remembrance of me was actually very amusing, to say the least. I could finally get my revenge on him for all those times he's angered me, and he wouldn't even know it. I thought it was brilliant.

"You know, I don't understand why we couldn't wrap her head in those sheets?" I asked Link, "I mean, it wouldn't suffocate her, you know? Don't want her face to get all...blotched…" I waved my hand in front of my face for emphasis.

Link just shook his head and sighed. There was a sudden whooshing sound as Isabella finally and ever so gracefully rolled over the edge of the roof and right into Link's awaiting arms.

It would have been so romantic, wouldn't you think? But I was there laughing my head off as Kado jumped to the ground only six feet below. His frazzled expression told me he was about to strangle me.

"_You_!" he whispered into my ear as I covered my mouth with my hand to muffle the laughs.

"Me, what?" I finally questioned as he began to walk away.

He turned to me, his eyes narrowed as he glared, "…Need to…"

But he didn't have a chance to finish because in those seconds that he turned, the silhouettes of at least a dozen or two soldiers flashed before my eyes. Their metal-clad bodies rushed to surround us, keeping us from moving anywhere but toward each other.

"There, sir!" One of the soldiers pointed to us. His helmet was haphazardly placed and he wobbled slightly while he watched us. The small sea of guards parted in half, creating panic as a golden-clad soldier stepped through- the one from earlier this evening.

"You released the prisoners, Your Highness!" He bellowed, "It is a felony, and such like yourself should know that. Arrest them all." There were murmurs behind him.

"No!" I stepped in front of Link, "It's my fault."

"Oh?" He cocked his head to the side.

Soldiers behind him chuckled and he quickly raised his hand. They fell silent.

"You?" He asked.

"Are you deaf?" I remarked. "You heard me. It was my fault. I…"

"You went against the Crown." He interjected.

"I was almost killed because of your stupid Royal Family."

A few gasps were heard from behind him. Another raise from his hand quieted them.

"This will not be tolerated."

"Oh?" I quirked an eyebrow; "Really? You tried 'not tolerating' this before? Why don't you go and send your puppet, Impa, to come and deal with me?"

He unsheathed his sword, "Do not test me, girl."

I shrugged despite the fact that my heart was pounding in my ears; "You should know there's a free country outside these walls. Where have you been all this time, huh? Your precious Royal Family even tried to get rid of us _and_ their Zoras."

"I don't know what you are talking about." He retorted.

"Of course you don't…" I muttered.

"Now, what say you?" he said.

"What say me?" I turned around to glance at Kado's incredulous expression and Link's worried gaze. "I have a proposition to make."

"You are in no position to make…"

"Let her speak!" Kado growled. I flinched from shock but otherwise twisted my lips into a smirk.

"Thank you, Kado." I said politely, turning around to wink at him. His flabbergasted expression was enough to make my heart skip a little and give my thick-headed mind a bit more energy to keep going with the stupid idea. "As I was saying, I have a proposition for you."

"As I said, you…"

"_A proposition, sir_." I seethed, glaring at him.

"Let her General," the one with the crooked helmet said with a nod, his gaze still not leaving us, "It may be worth to listen." I stopped to stare for a moment as the general fumed quietly. Cal was behind the crooked helmet. Poor boy…

"Fine." The so-called general muttered. "What is your proposition, girl?"

I smiled, "You let them go."

"On what reason?" he said angrily, a tinge of bewilderment hidden in his tone.

"You arrest me." I said, as if he should know. "And let them go, and _leave_ them alone."

He was silent for a while as I tapped my foot impatiently.

"I would normally wait for an answer, but we're in a rush, you see." I said with a sigh.

He stepped forward before glancing at the soldiers, "Arrest her, and make sure her _friends_ reach the lake."

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What can I say? I've been arrested more times in Hyrule than I have ever been back in the States. And let me just say, I feel that I have utterly grown used to it: the circle of soldiers, the clasping of the shackles, the leading away, the farewell gaze to friends, the reading of rights, the cold and dark cell, and the complete feeling of abandonment.

Oh, yeah. I was used to it. Although, the one thing that never changed, was how I escaped- even if it meant convincing the Royal Family to let me go. Too bad they hated my guts, right?

Something scurried past my leg and I flinched, feeling something cold and slimy skim my skin. I shivered and pulled away, but not compelled to jump up and hop around like a monkey like my mind told me to do. Whatever it was, could kiss my…

"Jade?" a voice- that drew chills up my spine, sent my skin crawling, and induced a sense to draw blood- spoke.

"Why are you here, Kenny?" I flexed my shackled arms and legs, testing their strength.

Now I knew. His precautions never failed.

"I wanted to see how you were." He was somewhere in the dark dungeon, hiding in the shadows.

My eyes fought the urge to blink, and I knew for sure this made me look undeniably sinister. Hell, I was freaking out by the color change I was taking on, and not to mention my surroundings. After all, that blue flame flickering on the torch nearest me _did_ look quite out of place.

"Well, that's sweet," I grumbled, cracking my knuckles out of sheer need to move.

He laughed softly, as I figured he shuffled around from wherever he hid in the rectangular room. "Too bad I have to leave you here."

I pouted, not exactly finding this surprising. Course he would- anything to keep me away from him. "That's not fair."

"Hasn't anyone told you, life isn't fair?" he replied, amusement etching his tone.

"Course," I said, cocking my head stiffly to glance somewhere else other than the shadows, "Not from you, though. How are you doing, by the way?"

"I'm fine. You?"

I shrugged, "Same. A little cold, but, you know, what else is new?"

He chuckled, "Yeah, I guess that's a little old, now, huh?"

"Uh-huh…" I heard his footsteps echo as he neared me. I stiffened, finding it hard to keep my vision from roving the perimeter and singling him out from the dark walls.

I heard the shackles move, despite the fact that I hadn't moved an inch. When I heard his rhythmic breathing, his erratic heartbeat, and his close movements, I realized how near he was to me.

"Your wound is bleeding," he stated. I could feel a whoosh of air in front of me and I flinched. My eyes grazed over his face, now that he was directly in front of me. I drew my knees up to my chest as he neared.

That familiar part of my mind seemed to beg me to launch myself at him.

I refused, if anything, I wouldn't dare.

"Yeah," I said breathlessly, "Had a little accident."

His expression seemed pained, his dark eyes clouded over as his eyebrows furrowed. Something about him seemed troubling, but I couldn't pinpoint it. Not at all, because just then his hand grazed my neck, and like a jolt- my hands snapped forward, preparing to claw at his face. But the muscle reflex was short-lived, and I was agitated by it.

Ice shackles are way worse than metal ones. It chills you to the core. I should have felt warmth under his hard grip; I should have felt the blood rise to my cheeks, make me sweat. But, there was the opposite reaction. His grip felt like ice, and my blood sent coldness throughout me. And yet, it gave me the same thrill- no matter how distorted it was by my thoughts.

"You keep saying you don't want to hurt me, but yet you constantly torture me." I said vehemently, feeling his hard-stone weight press against me- enough so that my legs were pushed to the side so that he could only be nearer.

His face now inches from mine; I could feel his nose nudge the side of my jaw, pushing my head to the left.

I gave up understanding him. I swore never to ask him these useless questions ever again. That was, until he finally parted his lips- not only to send snow-covered kisses down my neck, but to answer as well.

"I'm being forced to," he whispered. I was ready to speak, even though my tongue felt like lead in my mouth. "Didn't you ever think that I didn't want to? I've told you before, but they know what I do, and they say…"

"_Who_?" I managed. He stopped his trail and my arms fidgeted, but his grip that pinned me to the wall kept in place.

"Sometimes, things like being independent don't come until you do something unfair to get there."

"I don't…" I stopped, when his lips were only centimeters away from my own. I didn't want to open my mouth, for fear of biting him.

The impulse worsened, like a snake coiling around me, suffocating me for misbehaving.

"What's always there- in the most part of your life that keeps you from doing what you want to do? Makes demands on you, teaches you, disciplines you…"

He didn't have to go on. I knew, as he finally trailed off into his own thoughts. Now I knew, no matter how many times he had told me. It was horribly clear- the reasons for his actions, his pained expression, his regret.

Something- some_one_ was binding him. Maybe two people- to be exact… They had to end this- had to end the one life that threatened theirs and every other of their kind.

Parents could be a pain.

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Okay, okay. I know I didn't explain Kado's amnesia or Link's macho ness xD but I got sidetracked. The story leads me, I don't lead the story. Sorry! But, hopefully next chapter- whenever that happens. I'm real busy this weekend and stuff. PSAT, wedding, essay due, quarter end, blahblahblah… Thanks for the reviews!

TrueBlue- no problemo. Thanks!


	20. Visiting Hours

**Seeing All or Nothing**

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Chapter 19: Visiting Hours

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I hated the quiet. It was so…intimidating. Yippee, like it wasn't bad enough Kado and Link and Liyanne and Isabella and Kenny and Eric are intimidating.

"So," I tried to joke, "Really gonna leave me here?"

Kenny rolled his head to the side to glance at me. His laugh was humorless, "You think I should?"

"I'm bored. Plus you're lying there doing nothing…so…" I shrugged before slitting my eyes at him, "_yeah…_"

He smirked, "I don't feel like it."

"You're bored, aren't you?" I huffed, leaning against the wall. The coldness was hardly noticeable any more, considering the fact I felt so numb to it. Although, that didn't count for the fact that he literally stole my breath away every time he came near me.

He shrugged before staring up at the ceiling again. His arms shuffled slightly under his head as he regained another comfortable position. A sigh escaped his lips, and I was about ready to tackle him again.

He must have noticed because he apologized in a soft murmur. "I just don't want to go back home."

"Then don't." I remarked, growing impatient.

"But my parents always find me, then force me to go look for you," he said, "and I 'look' for you and head somewhere else. It gets old after a while, when I can't sit in my own house without trying to avoid people that actually _live_ there."

"I miss sleeping in," I sighed, feeling in a pitiful mood.

"I miss playing video games," he added.

"I miss instant messaging my friends."

"Too lazy to talk on the phone?" he chortled.

"Ha, ha… jerk…" I smirked.

He laughed, "I miss seeing you laugh."

My eyebrows furrowed and I grew quiet, "When did you see me laugh?"

The Sheikah grinned before rolling onto his side and propping his upper body on his elbow; "I told you, didn't I? Whenever you felt cold, I was nearby. Had to be, anyway."

"Course," I said before a question popped in my head, "So, how long ago did you find out about me?"

He raised an eyebrow before responding, "A while... Just so you know, I was bullshitting you when I said I was searching for my brother in Hyrule."

I chuckled, ignoring his half-ass response, "Oh, yeah. That whole, wants to take over Hyrule because Earth is too big. Took three _long_ years."

He smiled, "I was desperate for an excuse. Worked, too. You believed me."

"Believed the whole damn thing," I said.

"Over and over again," he interjected.

I threw him a death glare, "What was up with all the half-truths? And the fake I-have-feelings-for-you deal when you were pretending to hate my guts?"

He glanced at the ceiling, as if recounting the memories. "I really like you, Jade." He finally said. My heart wrenched, unsure now if I was supposed to be filled with hate, or the exact opposite, "I have to admit, it was hard doing the love-hate bit, but I needed you to hate me, and I thought you'd hate me more if I added the other part of it."

I shook my head, "You, you weren't exactly easy to be around, and I still remember it all. I don't exactly like it."

He chuckled, "You're still a virgin, if that's what you're still wondering."

I shuddered, "Yeah, nice to know, thanks." Sarcasm dripped from my voice, as I tried to hide the uncomfortable moment in the back of my head.

"Jade," I glanced at his glistening eyes, "I don't plan on hurting you like that, again."

I wasn't sure what he meant by that.

If he meant fighting… We would have to fight sooner or later, anyway. Prolonging it only seemed to make it worse.

"It was only a dream…"

"Yeah, but in the meanwhile- I got to know you better."

_A lot better_, my mind added sardonically.

"I wish I could say the same," the smile on my lips was painful.

"Sorry," he muttered, "But, at least you're beginning to. And I really don't have multiple personalities, all right?"

I laughed, my voice suddenly hoarse, "Oh, yeah." For a moment we just sat there, while I recounted old memories of the dream- realizing how ridiculously vivid it was in my mind. Even now, it didn't seem as real as it used to be. I couldn't imagine Kenny being that cruel, couldn't even imagine Isabella stabbing Kado. How ironic; she loves him still. Most of all, I couldn't imagine fighting for my life like I did- for such a thing that was just a "game." A bigger purpose was hidden underneath. I didn't even bother to ask if Sheikah really _did_ like games, or if Kenny had made that part up to follow up another lie.

But, it was over. There were other things to deal with.

"So, you were really going to make me dream everything up every night if I hadn't gone in a coma?" I asked the other question I was worrying about.

He shrugged, "The plan wasn't supposed to take so long, but I didn't believe it was fair to kill you in your sleep."

"But your parents…?"

He sighed finally. "Of course, they…they had different ideas in mind…" he trailed off, and I prodded for him to continue. "They wanted to get rid of you as soon as they found out about you."

"Impa said six years? Which way is that? My world or here's?" I asked.

He cocked his head, "Around four decades would be a little early to know about you, don't you think?"

My eyes widened before leaning back against the wall, "Oh, yeah. I guess so. So, she meant my world…which would mean…"

"Not even a year here," he finished off with a smirk.

"Showoff," I mumbled. And then it dawned on me, "So, you were…young…er…" I wasn't even sure of his exact age anymore.

He grinned, "I was twelve when we moved to California." I tried counting it in my head but he beat me to it. "I'm eighteen, darling."

"I knew that!" I retorted with a pout.

He winked at me before standing up in a quick fluid motion. The breeze he sent my direction sent a shiver up my spine. My bones felt like crunching together from the invisible pressure surrounding me.

"Leaving so soon?" I asked sarcastically, trying to hide that itching temptation.

"Sorry, love," he said dramatically, "But it's time for you to get out of here, and for me to find a way to avoid my parents some more."

"Wait," he halted his movement and watched me intently. I fidgeted, trying to fight off a shiver, "What happened to Kado?"

His face fell for an instant before a smirk suddenly appeared; "I guess you'll just have to snoop some more to find out. It'll give me some time, too."

I glared at him in awe before he finally disappeared into the shadows.

The room temperature suddenly rose some twenty degrees and I sighed in relief despite my irritation, feeling the gut-wrenching lust cease to gnaw at my bones. At least, the healing wound at my side helped me further resist temptation of clawing at him. Maybe, that's why he hurt me.

For a few seconds, I thought I was going out of my mind. There was scuttling outside the dungeon door. A short, muffled scream, a thump, and something jingling. Had Kenny been correct, or was I hallucinating…?

Hallucinating…

Because my eyes hadn't completely recovered from the entire unable-to-blink ordeal, and someone had oh-so kindly decided to bust the dungeon door open and flood the place with light.

I groaned angrily, ready to snap at whoever it was, but I didn't even have the chance.

As my eyes finally adjusted, I noticed a smirking form leaning against the doorframe. His brown hair was mussed and he looked exhausted, but I could have sworn from his arrogant smirk that he was actually enjoying the fun of knocking soldiers out. With his finger spinning a rusted key ring, the actual key going haywire in circles, he walked over to me ever-so casually.

I figured then and there that his actual cocky behavior had never resisted the temptation to take a vacation.

"For heaven's sake, hand it over!" I exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Patience, dear," he said, kneeling down in front of me.

"Where's Link?" I asked, moving to the side to peer past the door as he finally freed me from the containing shackles.

"Outside, keeping an eye out." He replied a little coldly, glancing at me from the corner of his eyes.

I smiled wearily when the shackles fell to the stone floor. With a sigh, I stood up.

"Looks like your wrists took a beating." He commented, walking away.

I lifted my hands and glanced down at my wrists. No doubt, I knew what he meant. A large, blue-purple bruise decorated the complete circle of skin.

"I just had a surprise visit," I muttered, ignoring him when he stiffened slightly.

"Jade…" he began slowly…

"Yay," I remarked humorlessly as I walked past him, "You used my name."

"Listen, what did you mean when you said royalty is dishonest?"

It seemed like time had stopped for that fraction of a second, as those words rang in my ears, echoing in my mind like an alarm going off.

_What did I mean…?_

"Why?" I asked warily.

He shrugged, "I was just wondering why you had said it, is all. I'm beginning to agree with you."

Glancing at him suspiciously, I turned around and walked down the stairwell, past the knocked out soldier, and to where Link waited for us patiently.

One thing was for sure, I hadn't mentioned once about royalty being dishonest. That is, if you didn't count the time I told that to Kado, the prince. I never once mentioned it to Kado, the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Eater.

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Ah! If you guys don't throw tomatoes, I'll update sooner! I'm so very sorry for the huge delay; I didn't plan on this horrible and very short chapter to take so long! Not only did I have writer's block, but also I've been busy with school and homework and all that regular stuff. And maybe you'll want to clobber me- if you know me well enough, then you will- because I'm planning to start _another_ story. But, _but_, it's a Zelda fanfiction! Hurray, right?! It'll be up, soon- not to mention after this there'll be a prequel in Kenny's POV. I'm not sure if I've mentioned that part before. Because, I thought that if I wrote a long five-page explanation on the trilogy you all would be bored. Unless, that would be helpful, as well. With this, prequel, it could possibly be more entertaining- in story format, from _Kenny's_ awesome mind (heheh) and it'll explain all his crazy-brained ideas and as to why things happened why it did up to where he is introduced in Seeing Truth. And, if you guys are _still_ confused, at the end of the shorter story I'll answer any questions from the trilogy that you all don't understand. Hear that, _any_ questions.

Yeah, so, enough rambling. Thank you all for the reviews! And stay posted! I hope to have the next chapter up much sooner!


	21. Underneath

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 20:

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Link had made it a promise to come back and free me from that dingy cell up in the castle tower. I couldn't stop thanking him for it, either. Of course, Kado didn't give a rat's ass if I was there or not. It wasn't very surprising, to say the least. He didn't remember a thing, despite the entire royalty-being-dishonest moment. That was a long time ago, when I had apologized to him for kissing Liyanne.

It hadn't happened, either. Why did he remember that? Why couldn't he remember the first time we met in the theatre, when his girlfriend at that time had called me a "bitch" for accidentally bumping into him? Why couldn't he remember that he had eaten my Reese's Peanut Butter Cup?

"Can't you remember anything?" I asked him for about the tenth time as I tried to untangle my hair, out of habit to keep my hands busy.

Kado grumbled and shook his head, avoiding my gaze.

I sighed and decided to just give up for the night.

I was out of that cell, free from darkness, furry things, cold walls, and Kenny. Lucky for us, Link had remembered a secret passageway that would allow us to easily escape from the castle, and into Hyrule. He said he had found it on one of his visits, whilst trying to escape it.

"Where's Isabella?" I asked curiously.

"With Ariella," Kado replied.

I glanced at him, shocked, and he sent me a confused look.

"Oh," I began slowly, "What do we do next?"

"We need to leave here, according to them." The brunette replied again.

Link was nodding along in approval as he continued.

"But Ariella invited us to stay with them until morning."

I shrugged, "Nice of her. Are you sure she's not bullshitting us?"

Kado shook his head and Link glared. "No, I don't think so. She seemed rather pissed that Neus had done something like that. She said she had no idea why the Royal Family wanted to talk to you. Apparently, it was more than just talking."

"Apparently…" I repeated sarcastically before glancing behind us, checking to see if there were dozens of knights on horseback passing the bridge. There weren't, and I turned to face the front, trying to nudge the itch of checking behind me once more.

The sun rose steadily above the rocky wall an hour or so later, bathing the stretch of land in front of us in golden light. The forest trees seemed less scary than before and I stretched as we passed by, feeling the tepid rays wash over my sore back and warm my face.

"I hope it's dry where we're going." I said to no one in particular. My worries washed away for that little while, when the sun rose. Nighttime was just full-scale annoying. I honestly didn't want to know anymore about anything, not until I had time to sleep on it.

Kado chuckled, "I heard the professor by the lake has some extra rooms we could stay in. But we have to pay rent. Costly, you know?"

Link fumbled for something in his pocket, and a few seconds later he dangled a pouch a few inches from my face. I narrowed my eyes at him as gems jangled inside.

"Nice, Link, nice…" I muttered with a small smile, "And where did you get that money?"

He shrugged sheepishly and rolled his eyes.

"Don't be so modest." I said with the wave of my hand.

"Aren't you two cute?" Kado voiced sarcastically, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and Link's. Yeah, he was a little taller than the both of us. Not too great when he does that, I realized.

"Oh, shut up." I retorted, swatting his hand away.

He chuckled, turning to Link; "Do you think this professor can help me get my memory back?"

Link shrugged for a moment, as Kado finally shoved his hands in his pockets. Then the blonde reached for his notepad and pencil and began scribbling something down.

_Yeah, it's possible._

Kado smiled, and I guessed that was good enough for him. "Great, can't wait to meet him."

"Uhuh," I muttered, thinking back to the hunchback, cross-eyed, old man in his laboratory, probably poking at another one of his fine specimen octopus.

The lake was huge, to say the least. The calm water enclosing nearly the entire perimeter sparkled with the growing glow of the morning sun. In the middle of the lake, sat the small island. A towering elm tree with twisted branches and a curving spine shaded the little patches of grass dotting the ground. To our right, stood the house with the dark shingled-roof and high watchtower with what I guessed to be an old-fashioned anemometer.

"Yo!" Ariella's familiar voice greeted us halfway down the hill.

"Hey!" I smiled, waving to her.

"You guys ready to go under? Isabella's up." She said, her eyes twinkling.

I glanced at Kado before nodding along. "Sure…" She grinned and turned around, heading toward the water.

Kado smiled, "Ready?"

I grimaced, "You were lying about the professor, weren't you?"

His smile broadened, just as Link jumped in; "You could always check with the professor, eh?"

He splashed into the water, and I followed suit. Water equaled bad memories, and I quickly latched onto Kado's shirt. He turned to stare at me inquisitively.

"You all right?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. I glanced down, seeing where we'd need to dive under to reach the portal.

I shrugged slightly, trying to hide the reason of my utter fear and as to why I was gripping him tightly. "I, um, I'm not a very good swimmer."

He must have believed me, because he rolled his eyes and took hold of my arm. "Just hold tight, and follow my lead, all right?"

I nodded shortly, feeling the cold water seep through my torn jeans and send a shiver up my spine, "All right."

With one last smirk, he soon dove under, dragging me along with him. As long as I didn't lose him, it wouldn't matter how deep we went.

XxxxXxxxX

Zora's Domain looked as though it would span the entire perimeter of Hyrule, tip to tip. Music seemed to pour in from every direction, washing over me like gushing waves, calming me, enough to make me dizzy hadn't I been too lost in thought. With gushing waterfalls everywhere you looked, balconies at every crevice, corridors that led deeper into the depths of the living Zora, caves where merchants sold everything from fish to bottles that held the fish to clothes and jewelry. Little Zora children played in the over-sized basin, splashing in the water, swimming, diving, playing games while parents stood idly by, chatting or fishing, or doing both. Torches lit the walls, even with little need of it when sunlight poured in from large crevices in the rock, illuminating the water that shed light on the walls, making the entire domain glow with near unnaturally magical light.

A few stared at us as we entered, eyeing us up and down, trying to catch a glimpse of the two humans barging into their home. But I was too exhausted to care, as I wrung my wet hair for the umpteenth time in that one little week. I was gazing at the beauty just like Kado and Link, but I saw less than they did. Wonders did little on poor eyes, anyway.

"This way," Ariella gestured for us to follow her down a stone staircase a little ways to our left, where the shore ended and the corridors began. "You two and Isabella can stay here for the day. Link will need to return home, I assume, to tell them you escaped."

I quirked an eyebrow, but decided rather to stay silent.

"How will I know where to go to?" Kado asked, his one hand trailing the wet rock as we descended a little farther. The end suddenly heaved up, and I scrambled to keep my balance when I thought there was another step to take.

"Jade will help you, I'm sure," Ariella replied, "She was with you when you two were kidnapped." She suppressed a laugh and I rolled my eyes.

Kado glimpsed at me, "We were…kidnapped?"

I faked a stretch; trying to avoid the subject, "Let's not talk about it now, shall we? I'm tired."

He shook his head in bewilderment, "I have a right to know, Jade. When did this happen? Where?"

I sighed, beginning to think he would never give this up. Even though he had the right to know, it didn't _feel_ like he needed to know. If I lied to him, told him some bogus story, he would forget ever having the need to help me.

Ariella slowed down, her neck craned to one side, as she seemed to search for something. My eyes roved over the walls, trying to decipher the camouflage doors from the rock exterior. Only after much deliberation, I realized with every door, came a lit torch with a noose of rope hanging to its side.

"How can you tell the difference?" I asked in a low voice, finally realizing the sound of music and laughter and gushing water- replaced with trickling from leaks- had ceased to a minimum spout now and then in the distance.

She smiled, her sharp teeth gleaming, "Easy if you know what you're looking for. Humans don't exactly have that talent." She stopped at a flickering torch, its edges blazing orange and yellow, and pulled on the rope. The ground rumbled for a split second as the door lifted open. Light flooded the entryway, pouring in from the room and blinding me. Ariella disappeared through there and Link followed, his eyes narrowed. Kado entered next and I waited, feeling for a moment a sense of relief.

_Alone_, I thought. That was exactly how I imagined all this to start and end. But there was no use if I was alone anymore, because there was in no way that I would be able to do it all by myself. I stifled a sigh, not sure anymore of what I was going to do with Kado, or Link for that matter. Isabella went wherever Kado went, and Kado went wherever I went. But if he didn't remember, I could force him home, and run off by myself. As for Link, I still didn't know what he wanted at this point. An elf in San Francisco…

"Hey," Kado's head popped out from the entrance, blocking part of the light for a brief moment, "You coming?"

I nodded, "Yeah, sorry." I stepped inside, and the door slammed down, sealing shut and cutting off the light that had bathed the outside in light.

XxxxXxxxX

The room's floor was covered in sand, the walls looked as though they were made of seashells- sending off iridescent glows from the never-ending torches that were lit here and there. The bed was simple, with a half of a large oyster shell for a headboard. The mattress seemed soft enough, and Isabella seemed to be enjoying it enough. She looked like Sleeping Beauty- with matted hair, wrinkled clothes, and sleepy eyes with dark circles around them.

She was eyeing Kado, her eyes pleading, and her hands gripping the sheets as if to restrain herself. Zeus was sitting at the edge of the bed, his one foot outstretched, playing with the sand. In the corner, where another Zora stood, was a small pond. I squinted, eyeing the place- up from the chandelier and down to the small table in the middle of the room where a vase stood with a single white rose drooping down, its petals curled up and crinkled.

"…good thing, though…" I tuned back into Zeus's words as he finally looked up, his smile looking a little weak, "We were getting bored. Leander was ready to burst out those doors a second ago."

I glanced at the Zora that had been leaning against the wall. "Shut up, Zeus," the said Zora huffed, walking past Zeus and heading toward the door, "You were about ready to do the same."

"Quite the contrary," Zeus smirked.

I rolled my eyes, sighing, feeling the weight of exhaustion push me further down.

"But I would wait for you forever, my love." Zeus said in a mock French accent.

I lifted an eyebrow at him before folding my arms across my chest, which only served as a reminder that my clothes were once again wet.

"Ariella," I began, "I hate to burst this little reunion, but is there any way I could get some dry clothes and a place to sleep? Please?"

"Nice, Zeus," she retorted, "Can't stop scaring them away, can you?"

Zeus lifted his chin up, "I am a professional at babes, dear. There are plenty of fish in the sea and they'll all come swimming by soon enough."

"Keep dreaming," she said, a grin spreading, as she turned around. "Come on, I'll take you guys to the master suite of the place. Three rooms connected to each other. Nice, huh?"

I grunted. Anything to get away, and sleep.

"Jade," Isabella's cracked voice made me jump a little. I turned around to watch her suspiciously. Last time I had checked, I was in idiot and she had never wanted to talk to me, again. I assumed the last part, anyway.

"What?" I returned icily, as the rest of them filed out- save for Ariella.

"Why can't he remember?" And I had thought she hadn't known that, but then again- she probably would have lunged for him if he _did_ remember.

I shrugged, feeling utterly defeated. "I don't know, but…" she didn't cut me off and I continued slowly, "I'll do…what I can, to find out what's going on."

Her smile was weak, and her shoulders relaxed as she spoke, "Thanks."

I meant to send her an impassive response, but my, "Your welcome" turned more into a friendly gesture than I had hoped. I stepped out before I could do anything that would seem anything close to "being nice."

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It's so very late, but I promised to update sooner. I wanted to add in more about Kado's amnesia and Isabella's odd knockout and Link's superhuman-ness, but I guess that'll just have to wait for the next. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed- too tired to reply…. Need sleep…and Happy Thanksgiving… to those in the U.S anyway. :-) Eheh…


	22. Nightmares

_**Seeing All or Nothing**_

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Chapter 21: Nightmares

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The ceiling was high, with a chandelier of hanging shells of purple and red and pink and blue and white shining to near blindness against the glowing candles held in place by the corrugated metal. From the doorway, I could see the glassy white walls, gleaming against the sandy floor and queen-sized bed with the white covers and the opaque curtain that hung from the four, carved wooden posts. Ivy hung from the walls, hooking around the bedposts and traveling down to the floor like a long, winding snake. Across the bed stood a small, oak armoire, the wood finely polished, the knobs looking as if made of shells. And like the other room, there was a small pond in the corner, the water lapping at the small shore, soaking the sand around its perimeter. A fish popped out, almost as if trying to reach for the hanging vines intertwined with each other.

"And, hey," I tuned back into Ariella's host speech, "If you need a snack, there's always fish in the pond."

I laughed nervously, "Thanks, but I was just hoping to get some rest."

She smiled, her fishy lips gleaming in the bright light. "Course, course. Clean clothes are in the armoire over there. Enjoy your stay."

I stepped inside as she closed the door behind me. A shiver went up my spine, and all the exhaustion suddenly hit me full force, again. All the glamour of sleeping in a palace underwater had seemingly faded. The crystalline shells of the chandelier cast shadows on the wall, the vines on the walls looking more like long, ugly snakes in the dim light. A fish swatted the water with its tail, splashing water onto the sand, making me jump so slightly. There was a thump from the other side of the right wall. I stepped towards it, and then suddenly realized there was a shell-bordered door with grooves indented into the wood. The knob was silver, beaming brightly despite the sudden dimness of the light. It was cool to the touch, and I took a moment to stare at the runes on the door, looking like tribal markings stretching across the surface.

Before I could open the door, I remembered my manners. Raising a fist to the wood, I thought about just exactly I was doing. And what was I going to say? "Good night"? "Sweet dreams"? Shaking my head, I backed away from the door. Another chill sent goose bumps up my arms and legs.

"Right," I whispered before shedding off my damp clothes, including the old bandages around my abdomen. Sand tickled my bare toes, and I relinquished in the warmth, finding it hard to pummel through clothes in the armoire I would probably hate to wear, anyway. I sighed anyway, and flung the doors open.

Torn tunics greeted me, boots shelved nicely in their place, and more certain necessities were packed away as well. I groped for a dark blue tunic and pulled it out. Instead of being torn, the tunics were actually _meant_ to look torn, like Tinkerbell's outfit, only with a right strap and breeches to match. I sighed, and then tossed it back into the armoire. I was sleeping, not going back out. There was a towel stuffed in the corner, and I quickly grabbed that and dried off, avoiding looking at the dried blood at my side, where the wound had finally healed. A small, white scar, almost silver, was left as if a reminder.

The mattress and feathers were soft, probably stuffed with cuccoo feathers. The covers blanketed me down easily, soft, and silky and smelled like lilac flowers. I dug deep into the bed, and closed my eyes. The lights dimmed, caving the room into my imagination.

XxxxXxxxX

A piano played in the background. My eyes felt glued shut, but I tried to force them open. The music was soft, a hard edge poking through here and there. The shadows on the wall faded, then came back, grew, then disappeared. The curtains rustled slightly, but I couldn't remember if I had moved or not. The covers were half off, half on, keeping my legs warm, but forcing the rest of me into a cold sweat.

The music stopped, and my eyes were wide-awake. I sniffled and nudged my nose with the back of my hand. The dark lines of the scar seemed to waver in my line of vision, so I lowered my hand, afraid they would suddenly coil around me, suffocate me. My fear faded when there was a knock on the door.

It was soft, but insistent and I sat up, a little curious as to why someone would come at a time when I'm trying to sleep. The lights suddenly brightened, but I hadn't noticed that they had darkened completely when I had awoken.

"Who is it?" I called. My voice wavered slightly.

"It's me, Kado," he replied after a few seconds.

"Oh," my eyes widened, my cheeks flushing. I realized I wasn't wearing anything under the sheets.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

My heart relapsed. The armoire looked so far away, and my clothes were still damp on the floor, sand glittering off it like mini jewels. "Y-yeah, sure…" I replied, covering myself, hands shaking.

The door opened slightly, and the lights brightened farther. I grimaced; glaring at the chandelier as if it was responsible, which would have been very likely.

"Jade?" Kado peeked his head through, glancing around, "Can I talk to you?" His hair was a mess, his eyes still a little droopy. No doubt that he had been sleeping a moment before.

"S-sure," I replied, before adding quickly, "Just stay by the door."

He raised an eyebrow before stepping inside and closing the door. He was wearing a white tunic, crinkled from sleeping, and black breeches. His feet were bare. He shuffled slightly.

He must have noticed my staring and he smiled wearily, "It's like wearing tights."

"And how do you know how wearing tights feels like?" I remarked, leaning against the cold headboard, almost forcing me to jump forward.

His smile switched to a sheepish smirk, "I had to play Romeo in my seventh grade play. They were serious about the part. I was jealous my girlfriend at that time was going to play Juliet with a Romeo that wasn't me."

I smiled, "Wow, you went all out, huh?"

"Yeah," and then he shook his head, "I'm not here to talk about that, though."

"Oh," my skin was flushing. I raised my knees up and began to fiddle with the sheets. "What did you want to talk about?"

He leaned against the door, sighing. "I…Did we…? Did I…?"

"Did, what?" I interjected, hoping my voice didn't offend.

"Did I die?"

I leaned forward reflexively, "What did you just say?"

"I…I remembered something happening- well, a lot of things happening, and I remember you…you told me not to leave you, Jade." He glanced up at me, eyes gazing at me hopelessly.

"It never happened," I said, "It was nothing."

"What does that mean?" he remarked, "I remember it so clearly, and you're saying it's fake. What do I do, now?"

"Nothing, don't you get it?" I pleaded, "You have nothing to do with this. It's not important."

"That's not true, Jade," he stepped forward, "You know I have a right to know what's going on."

I shook my head, "Don't believe that. It's bad enough I got you in this, but there's nothing you can do, now."

"I don't believe that." He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Then don't," I countered.

"Don't lie to me, Jade." He said; his glare pensive.

I sighed, feeling as though I should just as well crumble. "I'm sorry, Kado."

"For what?" he exclaimed, cutting me off, stepping even closer. I pressed my warm back against the headboard, one hand still keeping the sheet up.

"For everything!" He stopped, his eyebrows furrowed, a bewildered expression crossing his features.

"And what is '_everything_' exactly?" he seethed, finally losing patience. He kicked sand away, now dotting the edge of the bed in little jewels, sparkling in the vivid light.

"I should have never gotten you involved." I shook my head, avoiding his gaze.

"In what? In helping you? You needed to find those Triforce pieces, if…"

"No, no," I shook my head, "Don't you remember anything- anything that… Don't you remember Ariella?"

He shook his head in confusion, his shoulders finally drooping, "No, I don't."

"And Neus? What about Zelda? Did she force you to drink a potion?" I pined.

He began to pace slowly, his arms folded across his chest, "No, I don't remember Neus. I remember Zelda, but she would never force me to do that. And Link…"

I let him continue, my eyes following his every move.

"He, he's a mute and I don't know why. He doesn't even look the same from what I remember. He's…" he trailed off, glimpsing at me, "And that scar, when did you get it?"

I itched to hide my hand, but realized the sheets wouldn't do much good anymore. "A while ago. Kado, you're not remembering your past."

He stopped his pacing to watch me, his mouth slightly open, as if ready to protest but ready to hear my words first.

"You're remembering my dream. It never happened- none of it." I said, placing emphasis on the end, "That's the only reason you're in this; it's because of my dream, and for some reason, you started to have the dream, too, as if it was some different past of yours."

"And maybe it is," he said, a small smile gracing his lips as he reached the bed, resting his hands on the side, becoming eye level with me, "Maybe it's a good thing that I know. I know who I want to be with, and Isabella- she, she killed me."

"_No_," I glared at him, "No, she didn't. She didn't kill you. She loves you. She's a better person than you think, now. Better than I think, maybe. I just don't know her as much as you do- or did."

"She tried to _kill_ you" He continued on, "And Kenny, what about him?"

I instinctively knelt forward, quickly hiding my back as I did. "Nothing about him. Forget him. You'll go back soon, that's what Ariella said. We'll all go home."

"Meyenn…" he gleamed, but it soon faded as he watched my face morph.

I glowered, shaking my head, "No, Kado. It's not real. You know Hyrule isn't the same. You've seen it."

"It was dark," he sat on the bed, "I thought I had only been gone for a little while."

"Why would the Royal Family imprison you?" I questioned, raising my eyebrows, "Why would they imprison _me_?"

He was silent.

"It's not the same." I whispered, as if it would soften the blow of everything crashing down around him. I had felt the same way, but I couldn't tell him that. "Things will come back, I'm sure."

"How?" he narrowed his eyes at me, his hazel eyes glinting, "How are you so sure I won't be stuck in with this 'fake' memory for the rest of my life?"

I sat back down, feeling a little more than helpless. "I don't know."

He snapped his head back, his gaze distant. "Then what do you know?"

My eyebrows furrowed, my glare ready to shoot daggers if he didn't take that back. "You want to know everything, don't you?" I seethed, "But you don't understand anything. I don't know what's going on right now. I don't think I even want to figure it out right now. _Right now_, I've got a friend's parents, who just happen to be Sheikahs, plotting out my death so they can send their son out here to kill me. I probably deserve to die, but not by him. I'm thankful enough he's avoiding his parents, trying to by some time. I'm going to _die_ sooner or later, and you have _nothing _to do with it. Neither does Isabella, or Neus, or Link, or Ariella."

"Then _who_ does it have to do with?"

I sighed, realizing I had been holding my breath, "I don't know."

His eyes narrowed. "That's not a good enough answer."

"I'm sorry, then." I grumbled, "There's not much else I can do."

He stood up fluidly. "Goodnight, Jade." His voice was hostile, cold.

"Goodnight." I murmured in return, as he slammed the door shut, the thing that finally disconnected us.

XxxxXxxxX

The night was cold, the river silently churning. Flecks of water swatted at my face, sending another chill up my spine every now and then. The wind whipped loose strands of hair in my eyes, forcing me to blink. My hair was braided down, a fish tail done by Ariella out of her "boredom". I believed it was her way of trying to batter me with questions about why I woke up so gloomy.

She didn't get many answers, nothing more than a grunt or a soft mumble. I didn't think it mattered anymore. The night was young and I was ready to head back home. No matter how many weeks had gone by either.

Past the Zora River, I assumed stood Kakariko Village, and the outskirts we had passed. My legs were ready to move, but I sat my ground, staring down at the crashing waterfall before me, the sound enough to deafen my hearing, and blur my vision.

Words repeated over and over in my head, like echoes in my ear, too far to reach, but close enough to hear. _I know who I want to be with…_ He had said that, so clearly, so easily. A small smile had been playing on his lips.

I jumped in surprise when there was a tap on my shoulder, one that grudgingly drove me out of my thoughts. Link stood there, his notepad stretched out, words scrawled against the white patch of paper, looking as if they would jump out at me any second.

"_You all right, Jade?"_ he asked.

I nodded sullenly, patting the soft grass beside me. He sat down, juggling his notepad and pencil.

"_Are you sure?"_ his face had that same worried expression on it.

I feigned a smile, "Yeah… I'm sorry I got mad at you the other day. I didn't mean to yell at you like that."

He lifted an eyebrow, as if bewildered about what I was talking about, and then he began scribbling, again. _"Forget about it. It's in the past."_

I shrugged, "Yeah, maybe."

"_**Now, tell me what's wrong**__?"_ His glare was fixed, pensive.

I looked away as I whined, "_Nothing._"

"_Don't lie, Jade."_

"I'm not." I grimaced, folding my arms across my chest before glimpsing at Link's warm tunic- looking almost exactly like before… While mine had _one_ strap and reached my thighs, and had black breeches, and brown boots. I was freezing…but I wasn't even sure why I was outside…exactly…

"_Stop pouting and tell me what's wrong!" _he was the one pouting now.

"Only if you answer me two questions," I replied. He nodded furtively so I continued, "Why are you still here? I thought you had to go back to the forest."

He smiled, _"Didn't feel like it."_

"Ah. Okay, then," I replied, "How did you rip those chains out of the wall the other night? It was practically nothing for you."

He grinned, dropping his notepad and pen to the side and pulling up his white sleeves, revealing bare wrists. I looked closely, as he placed a hand on his right wrist. My eyebrows furrowed in concentration, as if waiting for something amazing to happen. And something did happen, to be exact. When he pulled his hand away, I saw the faint outline of a paw under his palm. The silver streak was so faint, and I dared to relax my eyes. It was crystal clear, still, glowing faintly before disappearing, his skin clear of any trace of it.

"Wow," I breathed, taken aback, "And it stands for both wrists, huh?"

He smiled, grabbing his notepad and pencil once again, _"Now, what was it you were dying to tell me?"_

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Sigh… Can you believe it? Somehow, while writing this, I erased an entire page's worth of the Jade and Kado argument. I can't remember all of it that was lost, but an _entire_ page, and I can't get it back. I couldn't believe it. I have no idea what happened, but there's so much missing. I tried replacing it, but I don't know exactly remember what was lost. Hope you all will forgive me. This is a major loss, more so when I accidentally broke the disk that had almost all of my stories at that time…. Anyway, thanks for reviewing, y'all. Now I have to spend this last free Saturday doing boring chores...and homework... Later, until next time.


	23. Left to Wallow

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 22: Left to Wallow

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Isabella woke up an hour or so later, her fuzzy state still present. She was quiet on our way to the lake, and her expression seemed more lethargic than placid. The dark rings around her eyes had faded ever so slightly, and her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail. I could tell she was having a hard time staying awake. Link walked a little behind her, I beside him. Ariella was in the front, chatting with Leander and Zeus. Kado walked in the back of the group, his hands shoved in his pockets, his eyes roving Hyrule. An odd expression that I couldn't figure out washed over his face.

Link nudged my side and I turned to stare at him questioningly. He sent me a sympathetic look, his blue orbs gleaming in the sunlight. I shook my head, trying to reassure him I was absolutely fine. He sent me a small smile and I looked away, glancing at Kado from the corner of my eye. He was gazing at us, his expression scrutinizing us.

I sighed and rested my eyes at our shuffling feet, feeling there was nothing else worthwhile to watch, to wonder about.

"We're almost there!" Ariella announced. Zeus cheered, running down the rest of the way. I could see a pinprick of sunshine glaring off the lake in the distance. Leander shook his head before running after him.

I left Link's side and rushed up to Ariella, avoiding Isabella's mystified gaze.

"Ariella," I began in a low voice, "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

I could see my reflection in her dark orbs. She nodded, "Of course, once we reach the lake."

I nodded, striding to keep pace with her, all the while playing with the shoulder strap of the small knapsack banging against my hip.

We reached shortly after, a little breathless, a little tired. But we had made it, _they _had made it, and I was going to make sure they got safely back to San Francisco, despite the fact that I wouldn't be there to see it.

Ariella let the others pass, slowing down as we entered Lake Hylia's perimeter. I stood a little behind her, watching with interest as Zeus and Leander cannon-balled into the water, unexpectedly splashing Isabella with water and making her shriek in response.

I smiled, laughing silently, when Ariella turned to face me. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh," I faced her, my smile slowly fading, "I wanted to talk to you about Neus."

Her eyes widened, her body going rigid for a moment; "What about her?" Her voice sounded cold.

"Um," I took in a deep breath, "Did you know why she wanted to bring us here?"

She sighed, "She said it was for your protection, which had something to do with the Royal Family and whatnot."

"Apparently," I remarked sarcastically.

"I didn't know she meant to turn you in. I didn't know, Jade," she said sympathetically, "If I had known- I probably would have never come."

I nodded in understanding, "I know, but you didn't know me, then."

She shrugged, "True. Although, I wouldn't have done it if I had known she was lying to me."

"I'm sure…" I stopped for a moment, thinking. "How are you going to reach San Fran? Or even get back?"

She sent me a questioning look.

"The trail is gone remember?" I clarified.

"Ohh," she smiled, "Funny, ain't it? I don't know why it disappeared, but we've got our ways. "

I raised an eyebrow, "Right."

"So," she glanced toward the shore, seeing the others laughing, actually enjoying themselves, not to mention Kado and Isabella, "Was that all?"

I reached out a hand to stop her incase she went. "Not exactly…"

XxxxXxxxX

"Guys, ready?" Zeus asked, floating on his back while the rest of us were busy staying afloat… Okay, I was the one busy staying afloat. Floating sucked, all right? I couldn't float for over five minutes before needing land under my feet.

"Okay," Ariella pushed Zeus's head under the water, leaving his hands and legs waving above the water, "Kado goes with Leander, Isabella goes with me, and Link gets Zeus."

Link glared, his bottom lip pouting.

"What about Jade?" Isabella asked, just as Zeus fought away from Ariella, using her shoulders to push out of the water. She elbowed him in the chest and he plummeted back.

"Nice, Ariella," he coughed, a smirk on his lips.

She smiled, keeping an arm outstretched incase he came any closer, "She'll wait out here until I come back."

"All right!" Leander exclaimed, and I realized then that Zeus was missing, "You are so dead!" he dove under; bubbles rippling upwards once his white form disappeared.

"Once we get them to stop water wrestling," Ariella sighed.

The two Zoras popped up, again, Zeus in Leander's headlock, struggling to get away. He was failing miserably.

"Are you going to bite my foot like that, again, sweets? Huh? What was that?" Leander said, grinning. Zeus shook his head quickly. "Good boy."

Zeus huffed, released from Leander's grip. "Asshole," he murmured, glaring at the other Zora.

"Well, that's settled." Ariella took Isabella's hand. "Ready to go?"

The brunette nodded, taking a deep breath. They went under in a matter of seconds.

"All right, Kado." Leander grabbed his wrist, "Let's go before Zeus throws a fit." The said Zora pouted and looked away.

Once those two were gone, I turned to Link. "You'll have a load of fun in San Fran. Just make sure you cover your ears with something."

He smiled, opening his mouth, and then quickly closed it.

"See you…" I stopped for a moment, hesitating, "on the other side."

Ariella popped out of the water, out of breath.

"Talk about fast," Zeus commented before latching onto Link's sweater. "Hold on tight, dude." They dove under as well, little more than a ripple left in their wake.

"So," I breathed, feeling like a lapdog doing a doggy float, "Just don't tell them what happened until later. I don't think Kado and Isabella will be much of a problem. Just make sure Link doesn't do anything stupid, all right?"

Ariella smiled, "Of course not. I think he'll be okay. Away from Hyrule will do him good, I think."

"Yeah," I said, "This'll be done with soon- it has to be. I just have to find out what they did to Kado. I don't want him believing he's the prince of Meyenn for the rest of his life. People will think he's a nutcase."

Ariella shrugged before adding, "Ask for Neus's help, will you? If she helped you out, then she has to help you, now. Tell her she owes it to me, after she lied to me."

"Of course…"

"And avoid the sages, _especially_ Zelda."

I beamed, "You know me better than that."

"How could I not?"

I let the water reach up to my chin before kicking back up again. "Tell Kado I'm sorry. I don't care if he forgives me or not- better that way. And tell Link I'm sorry, too."

She rolled her eyes, sighing, "All right already, drama queen." And she disappeared under, a smirk playing on her shining, white lips.

XxxxXxxxX

The morning chill sent a wave of shivers up my spine, taking my body through seconds of convulsions just to keep warm. I had almost forgotten the real feel of being cold. "Cold" felt so fake, so artificial in a way I couldn't understand. Grabbing my shoulder bag, I fiddled with the flap, my fingers too frozen stiff to grasp anything.

Once I undid the button clasp, I flipped the flap back to see some extra clothes- still there, still dry. I jogged over to a large boulder, looking as though it was embedded into the soil, moss growing off the sides. Hiding behind it, I began to change, boots first. The cool breeze whipped at my bare back, and I couldn't help but feel more exposed than I wished to be. But I dressed in the black tunic, looking nearly identical to the one I wore before, except for a straight-line hem and sleeves that reached above my elbow.

I stuffed everything else in the leather bag than began the hike back up the small hill, ready to head for the castle. Instead, I was stopped in my tracks, feeling the familiarity of the "cold" coming back. It felt like a smack in the head, a sudden reminder of how mediocre a mere chill was like. I dropped the shoulder bag and narrowed my eyes.

"Kenny?" I called out, my voice pitching up an octave or two.

There was no answer. My eyes went dry.

"Who's there?" I said, craning my neck from side to side.

But it stayed silent. With my heart pounding against my chest, I reached down for the bag's shoulder strap. My fingers grappled it for dear life, and in seconds I was rushing out of the perimeter, eyes glued to the front. There was nothing that I could see, the blue film over my eyes nevertheless there. I could only feel more trapped in this island than I had at the psychiatric ward, if there had been one anyway.

The fields seemed so bare, so cold. I felt alone, walking- no, sprinting through the prairie. No one was in sight, like there had been the day before. The trail was void of traveling merchants or villagers making daily routes. A breeze kicked up, sending the loose hairs on my head whipping mercilessly into my eyes.

I spotted Lon Lon Ranch to my left, sticking out like a thorn, so bear. It would be hard not to miss it, but not hard to avoid it. So I kept going, trying to forget the fact that my legs were beginning to ache.

The castle was close. I could see the stone perimeter, the moat, and the raised bridge. I slowed my running to a brisk walk, trying to lament the fact that something was incredibly wrong. The people were gone; there was no crowd, no stands set up, and indefinitely quiet. My loud breathing seemed to break away the silence, and I felt as though someone would jump out any second and tell me to go away or quit breathing.

Something whipped past me, enough to make me lose balance and stumble backwards. The blur separated into two blurs, both taking a course of circling around me. I groped for my shoulder bag, ready to use it as a weapon if I had to- maybe hurtle a few damp clothes at whatever those things were. But I lost all thought about it, when the blurs stopped, perfectly still. My body went rigid, my hands balled into fists. I thought my heart had stopped, but it hadn't, and I wasn't sure anymore if that was a good thing.

I gasped for breath, "Mister Blake?"

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So, so, sorry for the short chapter, but I wanted to at least get something up for you guys. Anyway, if I don't end up updating this enough, you guys can always check out my new LOZ fanfic (I'm not sure if I've mentioned this yet). It's called "Perfect". Yes, Saria is one of the main characters, but so is another loveable Sheikah character that has freckles and green eyes and a pug nose. The story is not necessarily going to be a LinkxSaria in the end, and I can't promise you anything of the like, but no ten year old is going to be with some teenager. I don't write things like that, but if you read you may find out where I'm going with this. (Hint: "The Little Mermaid".) If you're interested you can always check it out while you wait for this story. Anyway, later!


	24. The Blue Rose

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 23: The Blue Rose

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John Blake smiled, dark eyes gleaming. Next to him, stood his wife, Carrie Blake, long, black hair resting on her shoulder like a dark curtain. Both were nothing like I had seen before, the air about them different than I could remember.

"How obvious you've met us before," John leered, his demeanor very close to that of his sons, "I guess Kenny's little plan worked more than I thought it would."

"What plan?" I squeaked, despite knowing the answer was quite obvious.

"You already know," Carrie said, stepping a foot forward, "Don't play oblivious with us, Walker. You've caused our family way too much trouble. And because of it, our son is dead."

I shook my head in disbelief, "It wasn't my fault you involved Kenny and Ryuichi in this. It was your-" I turned my attention to John, "responsibility, and you turned it away because you couldn't kill me, right? So, you had your sons do it for you."

"That isn't true!" he exclaimed, rushing toward me, palm raised to my chest. I sidestepped away, losing balance and falling to the ground but raising my leg high enough to knock him down. He fell with a thud, as I rolled onto my back to crawl away.

"Then what _is_ true?" I said, voice cracking. Carrie was nowhere to be seen, until I felt a rushing wind beside me, too unnatural to be just a breeze. I realized that, when I saw her speeding toward me, katana raised, the blade pointing downward. I rolled away two times, and then sprang up. Something sharp grazed the back of my hand, cutting the scar's tip like a knife through butter, separating it into two pieces. Black oozed out, the tip and every other part of the scar surrounding it discoloring- turning pink and gray and ashen.

My hand felt sore, like deadweight.

"There's no more importance to that question," John Blake was rasping. Carrie was digging out her katana, the one planted deep into the soil. She must have hit rock or something, but with the look on her face and the pressure she exhibited to pull the blade out- it wouldn't be long before she came rushing at me again, intent to kill me for good.

"Of course there is," I was backing away, toward Kakariko Village, "You're family just has the habit of lying constantly."

"It's how we get by," it was Carrie this time, she had the katana free of the dirt, "And if it includes having to protect our race, our family, then so be it."

"Then tell that to Zelda," I said, my legs beginning to ache, adding to the pain that increased up my spine and through my arm, "I bet she'd love to hear I'm dead."

They stood where they were, and my hands itched for something warm. "They'll know, no matter what- it is why our race was created so well, without flaw, if you look at it a certain way. We were perfected to take care of the Royal Family, unable to hide anything or anyone to them. They would see through our lies," John was shaking his head, holding an injured wrist, "Just by looking into our eyes."

They looked solemn, grave, maybe even defeated. I stopped walking, near the stone bridge where the Zora River lapped at the embankment, quietly, calming my senses. I could think a bit more clearly. "Why don't you come and kill me?" I offered, raising my limp hand.

Carrie took a step forward, eyebrows furrowed, and hair swaying behind her like she was immersed in water. But then she stopped, sighing, "There is no reason for it. Maybe it was wrong to send Ryuichi and Kenny after you, but this is not our fight anymore- never was. Our fight belongs somewhere else. We're done here."

"What?" my voice was barely above a whisper, but they must have heard otherwise.

"We came to warn you, before the little incident," John seemed embarrassed, reaching for his wife's hand, "to not head for the castle at any costs." Carrie looked away from me, anger still raging behind her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

John didn't hesitate to stare into my eyes, "Just promise you will keep Kenny and yourself away from the castle."

I nodded reluctantly, throat too dry to speak.

"And when you see Kenny, tell him to come home." Carrie added, smiling wearily, eyes gleaming with something I couldn't comprehend.

They disappeared soon after, in a flash of light- the old-fashioned way.

By the time my eyes recovered, I could feel the chill of a cold breeze up my spine. The skin on my hand stung, even worse when I tried to move my fingers. The scar was darkening slowly; the ooze I had seen had dried away, replacing with fresh blood.

_They could have killed me_, I thought grudgingly, but the problem was- they were saving their strength for someone else. I just wasn't sure whom.

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I sat by the river, legs crossed Indian-style, watching the water flow and bend and continue on, until I splashed my limp hand in, creating ripples and sprays, sending the gleam of the sun that sparkled on the surface to disappear.

It must have been mid-afternoon, that I sat there, my feet all pins and needles and my back sore as the sun beat down until it began to burn. All was quiet, not even an animal scurried by. My patience was thinning, and with my reason to stay and head to the castle gone I had nothing else to do…but it was so boring…

I stood up; knees cracking a bit, before stretching my arms, feeling my spine crack as well.

"All right, doesn't mean I have to be there," I said to no one in particular.

The drawbridge was still up, and there was absolutely no other way to get in. I sighed, already feeling defeated. Something flickered at the corner of my eye, and I turned around to inspect my surroundings. Nothing moved, nothing out of the ordinary. Then the drawbridge creaked, groaning in protest. My eyes widened, the chains clinking against stone as the wooden bridge tilted away from the wall, separating, opening.

"It's lowering," I muttered to myself in disbelief, and I suddenly wondered if troops would begin to storm out.

It thudded to the ground once, creating a short echo that made my bones jump just a tad. I waited; fearing a rider on horseback would storm by, carrying a young girl as well. But no such thing happened, and I edged toward it, unsure of what to do. But by the time the thought of running crossed my mind, I was already inside, the bridge behind me.

"Too late, now," I murmured, and continued my slow pace, my footsteps echoing the slightest bit into town. A dog dashed by in front of me, scurrying past in amazing speed. I jumped back, yelping. My heart raced, driving up exhaustion full force, feeling my head become light-headed.

"No," I mumbled over and over. Every step became harder and harder, my vision turning blurry. I couldn't keep going, couldn't see why it was so quiet, why the market was deserted; stands left unkempt, merchants missing, leaving products unprotected. I walked up to the closest one. Jewelry as bright as gold in the sun and as clear and smooth as glass littered the counter. From necklaces with pendants the size of my fist to something as simple as a small engraving on a simple, sterling silver ring. But what caught my attention the most was the mirror. It was rimmed in mosaic glass, colors of red and blue and green and purple and yellow and more rippled with the rays of the sun, the center glass shining the brightest.

I placed it in front of me, at arms length. I couldn't see anything through it. I waved it a little, nothing, and then I neared it to me, but it was still void of a reflection. It only gleamed, powdery white. The harder I looked, the white turned into waves of water, breaking through the fog.

"What is wrong with this?" I asked to the guy that was supposed to be behind the counter. I didn't get a response. I placed the mirror back, between a rhinestone necklace and a crown made of laced vines, a blue rose intertwining with leaves and thorns.

"You shouldn't be here," the voice was hoarse, tired, but utterly familiar.

I turned around, feeling that rush of adrenaline, the coldness seeping in again. Exhaustion dispersed, replaced with the urge to do more than just stand. "Neither should you."

Kenny leaned against the brick exterior of the potion's shop, the sign above his head swaying in the wind every now and then. He glanced at the castle entrance, grimacing, "I tried to save them."

"What do you mean?" I furrowed my eyebrows at him, grabbing the counter for support. Instead, I felt the sting of dried vines and thorns pressing into the palm of my hand. I didn't let go, reveling in the warmth of the blood that trickled down my fingers.

He shook his head, his body rigid, "They might as well have just turned themselves in. Exile is better than death."

"What?" my voice wavered, dread building in the pit of my stomach. I hated having to ask all the questions. It was undoubtedly tiring.

He looked up from under his eyelashes, "They're dead, Jade. And there was nothing I could do. I saw the look they gave me, they knew I was there and yet…"

"It wasn't your fight," I tried to reassure him, wishing I could step closer to him, comfort him.

"It was _my_ fault," he said, banging his head against the wall, "I let my brother die, I let my _parents_ die. I didn't think…I…"

I bit my lip, throat dry, tongue heavy with invisible molasses. "I doubt now is the time to wallow. I already did that, and look where it's taken me."

He finally leveled his gaze on me, as if realizing I was there for the first time. The rose crushed in my palm, wet with blood. "Then what should I do, Jade? It's over."

I shook my head, feeling a small smirk quirk up the edges of my lips, "You kidding? Not everyone is dead, yet, so the game can't be over- just like you said. Game isn't over until there's a last person standing."

"When did I say that?" he asked, bewildered.

I shrugged the slightest bit, "I sort of jumbled your too-long explanations and made it up in my head. But that's not the point…"

He smiled wearily, "I guess you learned a little something. Dad was right. My plan worked."

"More than it should have," I said, "Except I'm not letting it end the same way. It's me and you against them." I gestured toward the castle.

He quirked an eyebrow, "And do what, Jade? They've done plenty of damage, and now you want to lead yourself in there to let them finish the job? It's a trap."

"And a damn good one," I continued, daring to take a step forward, "Your dad told me not to go, that it wasn't my fight, but it is. Now it is, and I'm not doing this for you, or for me- it's for Kado."

His shoulders stooped the slightest bit, "Why him?"

"Because they took away his real life," I replied. He didn't seem fazed.

"And what of yours? What happened to your life?" he asked, cocking his head to one side.

I thought for a moment; "It's always been this, there was nothing else. He had a choice not to be in this."

"But it was my fault," he interjected, "I chose him to be who he was. If I hadn't, then you would have never met him…or loved him…" the last was a whisper, so faint, I barely caught it. I wasn't sure if I was meant to hear it in the first place.

"There's no point in going back, now," I said, "That's why we have to fix it. I don't care what I'm _supposed _to do. That isn't me. I don't go off killing races, and I'm definitely not going to start now."

He smiled fully this time, his eyes lighting up; "Guess I was wrong, then."

"About what?" I asked, confused.

"You _can_ control yourself from killing me."

I choked out a laugh that hurt my throat, "Yeah, I guess so. But it's harder than it looks."

He shrugged, pushing off the wall before walking past me. His scent was intoxicating, and my legs went numb. "Care to take that to the extreme?"

I glared at him, baffled, and for a moment- terrified, "_What_?"

"You heard me," he called, stretching his arms, and I couldn't help but realize that he was testing me.

"You are so dead," I muttered, and followed him, the crown finally snapping in my grip, and the rose turning to powder.

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Hope you all like! It's still short, but I'll hopefully have the next chapter up soon, and the next, and the next, until the last, which I'm hoping will be done before end of winter break so you all won't have to wait for the ending until I'm done with finals. So, enjoy. Read "Perfect" if you're interested, or head to my fictionpress account. Anyway, thanks for the awesome reviews that I haven't had time to reply to but hopefully will, so later!


	25. Breakthrough

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 24: Breakthrough

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"Would you like me to buy that mirror for you one day?" Kenny asked, glancing over his shoulder, "After all this is over, you know?"

I furrowed my eyebrows, confused as to why he was trying to change the subject. "What for?" I said, looking down at my bloodstained hand; the residue of the flower speckled over my palm and fingers- blues and reds and greens.

He shrugged, "It's a magical mirror, something that the Gerudo woman told me would really help us one day."

I laughed, "Oh, come on. You aren't going to believe that, are you?"

He smiled, "Well, not exactly in those words." He swirled around to face me, and I jumped away, falling against the Town Square water fountain. My back hit the water before my head plummeted in as well, soaking me from waist up, letting my legs dangle over the stone.

I sat up, spitting water out of my mouth. "Why did you do that?" I screeched, forgetting we had the entire town to ourselves so that my voice actually echoed.

He chuckled, "Sorry," and reached out a hand.

I ignored it, and pulled myself out, dripping wet with water. "I swear, Kenny…"

"What?" he dared to question, glimpsing behind him, toward the castle. "I'm not sure what they're waiting for. I know they know we're here…"

"That's wonderful…" I muttered, squeezing out the water from my braid.

"Or they're too busy with something else." I looked up at him inquisitively, wondering what he meant.

"What could that be?"

He looked toward me, "My parents."

"But," he turned around, and I trailed after him, "You said your parents are dead."

"They are," he stated with disdain, "But God only knows what they could be doing."

"How did it happen, Kenny?" I pressed, trying to get a good look at his face, knowing that by the time my hand healed, it would be too late to care.

He shook his head, stuffing his hands in his coat pocket; "You don't need to know."

"Yes, I do," I countered, "I have to know what they can do, so I-… so I don't make the same mistake."

He glared for a moment, and then turned away completely. I didn't bother trying to face him again. "They weren't stupid, Jade. They didn't make a mistake. My parents knew what they were doing, heading to the castle."

"Then why…?"

"Because they would rather die fighting than surrender and live in exile." He interjected.

I sighed; "I'm so sorry…"

He laughed humorlessly, "Don't be, Jade. I should be, actually."

"For what?"

He cocked his head, and I stepped forward slightly, leaning to see his smirk. "I don't know, but I feel like I should be apologizing for something."

"Well, save it." I said, rolling my eyes, "You'll need it later."

"Shouldn't we head to the castle, now?" he asked, craning his head to look at me.

My heart thudded in my chest, my limbs readying to go against my will. I took the crushed crown, fingering a thorn still intact. "I'm ready," I replied, placing the pinprick thorn against the scar on the back of my palm. Black ooze welled from the cut, down to my forearm.

"Smart idea," Kenny muttered before hopping the fence that blocked the trail to the castle.

My arm went limp and I bit my lip, trying to keep a whimper from escaping. "Mhmm…"

"Come on," he called, keeping his voice low, as he waved for me to follow.

I glared at the fence, knowing this would be really…really…painful. "You expect me to climb _this_?"

He watched me, perplexed. "Well, of course, it's only five feet."

I huffed, "Yeah, but I can't."

He sighed, murmuring something that sounded like "wimp".

I stomped my foot, "My arms are a little limp here."

"Just give it a shot," he said, walking up to the iron gate to grasp the bars steadily, "I'll hold the gate so it won't move for ya."

I sneered, "Arsehole."

He winked, eyes gleaming, parting his peach lips- ready to speak. Instead, another voice broke through- one so cold, so familiar, that it didn't matter if the gate was five feet or ten. I rushed over on the other side, muscles aching, only to topple over something incredibly warm.

"Interesting," the voice said, as I fought away from Kenny, who was too stunned to be much help anyway.

From the other side of the gate, in the market, I could make out a tall figure; hair that shone like silver in the sun, eyes as red as blood.

"You!" I scrambled toward the gate, eyes unblinking still, "What are you doing here?"

Impa laughed, stepping up to the iron gate, "You two are as close to being the most impeccable klutzes I have ever seen."

I turned to Kenny, bewildered, "What does that mean?"

He shrugged, "Means we're klutzes."

"Oh," I nodded in understanding before turning to glare at Impa, "Other than telling us what we already know, what else did you come here for?"

She smirked, folding her arms across her armor-laden chest, "To take you two to the castle. You two are expected."

Kenny stood up, eyes penetrating, "You weren't the one who killed my parents; I would like the one who dealt with the rest of my family to deal with me, so we'll stay here until that person comes."

Impa hopped over the fence with ease, gliding to the ground with hardly a sound, stopping only inches away from me. "You will come, you have no choice, you see."

I turned to Kenny, gripping the bars tightly, trying to refrain from reaching over to Impa- who had undoubtedly recovered from her injuries. "I don't like this."

"You want to cure your dear Kado, don't you?" Impa drawled.

I stared at her, scrutinizing her demeanor as she watched me patiently, placidly. "I do," I muttered finally, "What can you do?"

"I have a proposition for you," she said, pale lips spreading into a grin, "Do you accept?"

"Jade," Kenny warned, stepping toward me, "Don't do this."

I ignored him, looking up at Impa, seeing her red orbs dancing in the light, "What's the deal?"

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Wrists and ankles shackled, the most I could move would be a foot at a time. With the proposition came imprisonment, and with imprisonment came manacles as heavy as a large block of stone.

"I told you this was stupid," Kenny hissed, glaring at me, as he shifted his near immobile hands, "You can't trust any of them. What did I tell you?"

I pushed him by the shoulder, making him stumble away from me (I didn't have time for his stupid orders). The soldier holding the chains in turn shoved me forward. I growled, "Don't touch me, jerk."

Kenny laughed, "Your energy is running out, isn't it?"

I glanced at the scar, ashen and discolored where I had used the thorn to break my skin. "I did it so I didn't have to strangle you, but I'm beginning to think it was a bad idea." He looked away, the smirk never leaving his lips. I shook my head, remembering that I was done trying to figure him out.

The corridors in the castle were bright, the windows allowing the vivid sunrays to crash in mercilessly. I narrowed my eyes as we passed them, one by one. Impa craned her neck to glance at us from over her shoulder. She grinned, "Enjoying the light?"

I sneered, "Apparently, it's harder when my eyes already adjusted to the dark- what do you think?"

She waved her hand dismissively, fighting the urge to laugh.

We approached a great door carved out of oak wood, engraved with the Triforce. Runes that matched the ancient Hylian alphabet rimmed the door, made out of soft ivory and laced in gold. The soldiers standing on guard pushed the door open, creating a soft but aberrant breeze.

"We're here, Princess," Impa called, stepping inside without a moment's hesitation.

"Wonderful," I muttered to Kenny, "She scares the crap out of me."

He glimpsed at me through the corner of his eyes, "I hope you don't mean that." The soldiers propelled us forward before I could ask what he meant, and by then we had already entered the throne room.

Royal blue ran the entire length of the throne room, reaching up to the marble steps that bathed in the sunlight. Marble statues rested near the thrones that looked as though made of gold and jewels. Beside every soldier that stood guard- even the ones that stood by the door- there stood a statue, hollow eyes, tail of a fish, head of an eagle, and a body of a lion.

"The Griffin?" I voiced to no one in particular, "With the tail of a fish…that's new…"

Kenny cackled quietly, "The goddesses' protector, so to speak…"

"Protector of Earth, Water, and Wind," Zelda's voice boomed down the hall, and I drew back reflexively when I noticed how close we were to her.

Kenny went rigid beside me, and I stood there, staring up at her placid demeanor, the way she stood there, holding a sword drenched in dry blood.

"You know your history well," she drawled, cocking her head to one side, letting her hair fall loose over her shoulder, "I didn't expect for the Blakes to do so splendid with at least one of their sons."

The Sheikah's eyes narrowed, "You killed them, didn't you?"

She smiled, her rosy lips spreading into a malicious grin, "Smart, too."

"Stop talking to him like he's a child," I snapped, wanting to step forward. The chains held me in place, and Zelda looked pleased.

"And stop speaking to me as if you were higher in status," she scoffed, raising the sword so that it glinted in the light, nearly blinding me.

"You-…"

"Jade…" Kenny said, stopping me from jumping the soldiers to tackle the princess. He turned to the blonde, face grave. "You killed them, and…"

"And it wasn't the easiest," she flipped her hair, crystalline blue eyes wide with fake remorse.

"Liar," he seethed, stepping forward. The soldier holding the chain pulled him back. Kenny grunted, stepping backward slightly, "You killed Ryuichi, too, didn't you?" She watched him silently, as Impa stepped in front of me, blocking my view of everyone else. There was a dagger in her hand, the blade curved like that of a shark's tooth. She raised it, placing the tip up to my chin.

"What are you doing?" I asked, feeling the coldness slowly seep back into my wounds, a tightening feeling growing along my skin.

"The proposition, remember?" she replied, and then turned to the soldier, "Take off the manacles."

"Jade," Kenny began, as the soldiers pulled him away, "Whatever they say, don't- just…"

"Silence, boy," Impa snapped, and the shackles fell off my wrists and my ankles.

He glared daggers at her before turning back to me, "Listen to me, don't…"

"Jade," Zelda countered, "Turn to me."

"…fight. You'll get killed." He said the same time as she spoke.

"Take this sword," Impa grabbed my arm. Her hand turned ashen, blue veins snaking up her arm. She let go, as if I had just burned her. A sword appeared in her other hand, solidifying like water turning to ice. The blade sparkled, as translucent as glass and as sharp as a lion's tooth- maybe it's claw, too. It looked dangerous either way. She held the hilt out to me, its silver hilt dotted with specks of crystal and ivory.

"What do I…?" I didn't want to finish it- after Kenny sent me a horrific look that only meant one thing: "Don't do it."

But it was too late. _Way_ too late…

I took the hilt, slowly, thinking it could bite. It was heavy in my hand, almost like my arm- complete deadweight. No memories of being able to fight with a sword flooded back; only faces mirrored my own: horror, remorse, defeat. There was nothing good about using a sword, but I wasn't better off without it.

And then for the first time, I realized Impa had stepped out of the way, and Kenny had disappeared from my view. Zelda stood face to face with me, standing against the backdrop of sparkling marble and blinding light, her hair shimmering, and her skin glowing. But one thing that never changed, were her eyes. They smoldered still, unlike any other, until a flash of red crossed her dark orbs, breaking through the blue so quickly I feared I had imagined it. My pulse quickened, my skin tingled, and my eyes felt sore.

Their weren't two Sheikahs in this room, there were three.

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Well, here's another chapter up and we're getting closer to the end of the story. Hope you all enjoyed. And thank you all for the awesome reviews, so stay posted for the next chapter:)


	26. Inevitably Inevitable

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Chapter 25: Inevitably Inevitable

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"I didn't know you were a Sheikah," I said, more to myself than to the princess in front of me.

She smiled, "How else would my ancestor have been able to disguise herself as a Sheikah for seven long years?"

She _did_ have a point; "All right, I guess." Buying time was all I could count on. And when I heard a commotion outside, as if someone had dropped an entire body of armor to the floor, I jumped into a fighting stance, fearing that someone would attack me from behind.

"Now," Zelda drawled (and I assumed that she and none of them had heard the noise), circling me slowly, "I hate to rush a good fight, but my parents want me to finish before the banquet tonight. Do you think you could minimize the talking so we can start fighting?"

I grimaced, her sarcasm actually getting to my nerves, "Funny, princess. I didn't think your parents knew about your secret playtime."

She narrowed her eyes at me and cocked her head to the side, "Oh, they were the ones who insisted I do this. I wouldn't want to let my parents down, or dishonor my family. Unlike some…" Her glance shifted to Kenny, but he was powerless, held back by at least half a dozen soldiers and chained with manacles around his wrists and ankles.

I cleared my sore throat to get her attention. She focused again on me. "This is a fight between you and me, remember?"

Her lips broadened, "Of course, your accord. You win, you retrieve the potion to cure your beloved…"

I scowled, "He's not…"

"Jade…!" It was Kenny, again. But he was cut off as well, when a soldier drew out a dirty rag and placed it against the Sheikah's mouth, gagging him.

"Hey!" I turned to them; ready to fight them back, when someone shoved me forward- guessing it was Zelda. I fell to the floor, hitting the carpeting for a few mere seconds before stumbling back up, sword towing behind me. "That was cheap," I sneered, itching to rub my sore arms.

She shrugged, "I could have easily killed you."

I was so compelled to ask her if this was necessary, wondering why we couldn't just sign a peace treaty, or something better- like, let me run away and never come back. But instead, I decided on doing the opposite, which included pissing her off.

"I figured," I said with a small sigh, "Do you think your brother would have approved?"

She stopped her pacing to glare, "What does it matter what he approves and disapproves? He doesn't matter in this."

I shook my head, glancing up at the ceiling, where light no longer reached, leaving it in shadows as dark as it would if it were night. "But he probably matter_ed _to you… Well, not exactly. I mean- he _was_ worried that this would happen. Good thing he doesn't have to deal with your lies anymore, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Zelda," Impa called, stepping forward, "Stop listening to her and dispose of her, quickly!"

"_Give_ me a moment," the princess exclaimed, eyes hard and cold as the ice that I was feeling bore through me. Only a bit longer, and maybe I would be able to fight again, exactly I had that night with Impa.

"Oh, yeah," I continued, placing a hand on my hip for a bit of a dramatic effect, while at the same time avoiding the pain that shot up that arm, "He's _way_ gone. Actually, didn't they say anything to you? Saria, I mean?" Her expression was blank, and I smiled, "Yeah, he's dead."

Her hands shook, the blade quivering along as well, "You are lying."

I sighed, feigning disappointment, "No, not really. We had a huge fight and it just slipped. I sent him a huge blow, he fell off the cliff…"

"What _cliff_?" she interjected, eyes searching my face in panic.

"Your Highness," Impa pleaded, walking past me. I then raised the sword to the Sheikah's neck, placing enough pressure so she knew there was a sharp blade against her skin.

"Stupid idea to walk past me like that," I said, glancing at Zelda. She seemed too caught up in her brother's "death" to notice I had her protector under the blade.

Impa laughed dryly, "Smart, girl…" And then she whirled around, too fast for me to catch, and knocked me to the floor with a sickening thud. I didn't even realize the hilt was gone from my hand until all the dizziness had dispersed, so that I was suddenly left weaponless, lying on the floor, searching for anything to help me. "But you are still a klutz, remember?"

"How could I forget?" I muttered under the tip of her blade.

"Let me finish her, Princess," Impa hissed, "I have been waiting long enough."

"I hardly count two days ago a long time," I interjected, avoiding my eyes going cross-eyed if I stared at the blade for too long.

"Impa," Zelda murmured, her voice cold, "Step out of the way. A fair fight, as always. If she wants to lie to me about what I already know to prolong her death, then so be it."

I stumbled up, eyeing Impa warily before reaching for the sword. It was lighter than before, and I took my time testing it out to prepare my voice. I mean, how could I squeak at a time like this?

"Are you done?" the princess asked.

I shrugged, ignoring her question, "What do you mean 'about what I already know'?"

"I have spies everywhere," she replied, impatience brimming her tone, "And soon after this, we will bring my brother back from the outside world, and make sure Neus and the others are punished justly for their treason."

"That's harsh," I said, tightening my grip on the hilt when the difficulty of forming words came rushing back, "Did Neus work for you for a time?"

"She did," was her reply, and then she stood silent. There were voices outside, yelling and screaming; most were guards.

My muscles began to contract on their own, my mind telling me to fight already. I could feel the sweat dotting my forehead, the pressure to stand still sending shots of pain up my spine.

"Impa," Zelda called, turning to face the angered Sheikah off to the side, "See what the problem…" She was cut off, too fast for me to realize it. Her blade caught mine, blocking it from doing more than grazing her arm. Her eyes blazed with shock. I drew away, the blade gnawing against hers.

She smiled, twirling the sword in her hand, letting it dance in the light for a moment before jumping forward, the tip pointed at my heart. I evaded, stepping sideways and slashing my blade horizontally. She ducked, and shot her leg forward. But I stepped over it, lost my balance, and fell to the side. I could hear the soldiers laughing in the distance when I rolled onto me back, just as the princess's blade came crashing down where my head had been. I staggered up, feeling the adrenaline rush further in strength.

A smirk crossed my lips, and I stalked toward her, raising my sword and sending a diagonal blow. She blocked, and I drew away for another. With her horizontal slice, I ducked and scurried behind her. Thinking I could sneak in a blow, I vertically slashed, aiming for her back. It grazed the material of her dress, ripping the fine silk material, before she swirled around and caught the blow. I pushed the blade away and jumped back, slowly beginning an arc around her. She opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off, again, and ran toward her, sending a thrust too fast for her that she had to evade, curling to the floor and then rolling back up again. The blade cut a piece of the carpet before she twirled the blade over her head and sent a horizontal blow that undoubtedly must have cut a few strands of hair off the top of my head. I breathed in deep; my hands beginning to shake as the cold turned more into an icy chill.

"If you took away the stumbling and the wrong steps," she drawled, thrusting the blade in front of me, "you wouldn't be too bad." I managed to block, and she tried again with a vertical slice. This time, I caught it, and shoved it away with all the strength I could muster. She wobbled backward precariously, lowering her sword, as if I would do the same. Instead, I plummeted forward again, blade aimed at her heart.

A few more inches, and I would have reached my goal, but it had come too late. My neck nearly snapped from the blow, as something hard pummeled into me, knocking me off my feet. I fell to the floor, right shoulder first. Pain shot up my arm, into my shoulder, through my neck, and down my spine. Someone called my name, as loud bangs resounded down the hall, and soldiers began to clank in their protecting armor.

"This has gone long enough," Impa seethed, her red eyes glowing menacingly as she grabbed my fishtail braid and yanked me up. I cried out, dropping the sword to pry away her hands. "Your twisted game, Princess, must end."

"Impa!" her voice was distant, but she was furious.

"Let her go!" another voice insisted. I couldn't place the familiarity to a face. I was tossed down, onto my back. I groaned, the breath knocking out of me.

"You would like to fight, boy!" Impa exclaimed, disappearing from my view.

I rolled onto my stomach, wincing every time pain shot throughout my body like pins and needles up my spine and through my limbs when I tried to sit up.

"We're not finished yet," Zelda hissed, as a cold blade rested at the nape of my neck. I craned my neck up to see her gazing down at me, the red of her eyes penetrating the blue like the sliver of metal that she held against my skin. "Stand up."

I did, slowly. "I think you are being ridiculous with this," my voice was wavering below a whisper, so soft I barely heard myself.

"Am I?" she murmured in return, curving the blade below my chin, "You've done so much damage, so much death, making me kill so many Sheikah."

"That was your fault alone," I retorted, "No one told you to do any…"

"But I had to," she interjected, shaking her head ever so slightly, eyes wide, "Don't you see? Those who go against the Royal Family must be punished."

The commotion behind me heightened in volume, driving me out of her gaze, forcing me to glance to the side. She raised her hand, white glove and all, and slapped me before I could realize what she was doing.

"Listen to me, girl," she sneered. I retaliated when I realized the blade had lifted from my neck; so I ducked under and pushed her, forcing her to stumble to the floor. The sword dropped from her hand, clanking to the tile almost noiselessly, had the commotion behind me- the screaming, the metal clashing, the bangs- drowned out all else.

I staggered, grabbing her sword before she could reach for it. It was warm in my hand, even a bit floppy in my grip. But it didn't matter; she looked helpless, gazing up at me with narrowed eyes. _You're done for_, I wanted to scream to her. She was done for, in a few seconds- she would be.

"Don't do this," her lips formed the words as her gaze wavered. I placed both hands on the hilt; prepared to stab her, to ruin her fine dress.

"_Jade!_" It was hardly distinguishable, but it was enough to make me lose focus and stumble. From the corner of my eye- to my right, I saw the shock of familiar hair, the chestnut color flashing in my mind. Below came the hazel eyes, so strong I forgot where I was, only knowing how a blonde carrying a bloody sword was dragging him. "_Look behind you!_"

But I didn't, not in time. The force of the blow stole my balance away, leaving the numbing pain of something so sharp and hot and cold penetrating my back in an instant's time. I choked, something warm and coppery welling up my throat. It was hard to breath, even too difficult not to blink. Energy slipped away, just as the blade that had been in my hands only seconds before.

Someone screamed, another yelled an order.

"Impa!" It sounded feminine, and shocked. But it didn't really matter, as I felt the cold of the tiles against the side of my flushed face.

"Jade, _Jade_, listen to me," this voice was soft, familiar, too. Red eyes burned my eyes. I shut them, and listened. "Just, stay calm, okay?"

"I…am…" my own voice was hoarse, and I was surprised I could still talk with the taste of blood on my tongue.

"Jade," he sounded panicked, "You can't go, yet. Understand?"

"Game…not over…" I sighed, "Savvy…"

"No, no. It's not a game," he stuttered. He placed a hand to my forehead, trailing down to my chin. I wanted him to let me go, "I'm so sorry, _please_. Stay, Jade, don't go…"

I would have smiled if I could. "I told you…"

"What?" I opened my eyes, eyelids feeling glued-shut, to stare up at his pale face, "Told me? Told me, what?"

"You should…" I wanted to vomit, but I forced it down, letting the pain sear my abdomen if it must. I wouldn't go like that. "…save your apology for later…"

He smirked half-heartedly, as worry etched a crease between his eyebrows. "Listen, we'll get you out."

"You need to _go_…" I choked the last part. My head spinned, colors jumbled.

"It's not over, Jade, you can't," he pleaded, glimpsing around us. "Impa will pay for this, I swear."

"Where did…?"

"They fled," he interjected, pushing a stray strand of matted hair away from my eye, "They left the mess to the soldiers, but they won't do anything, Jade. Listen…"

"_No_," I seethed, finally becoming irritated with his tenacity, "Just promise me…promise me, the next one will live…"

He furrowed his eyebrows, if they could go further, "But, Jade… It…" then he stopped, eyes watering.

My own burned, as something trickled to the side of my chin. "It won't be over, Kenny… I promise you…not- not until…" My eyes closed, my vision of him no longer recognizable. The noise became something more of background music, like in an elevator. It was soft, sweet. It went perfect with the pitch black of nothingness in front of me.

Those last words I had mumbled never became clear to me, not until years later, not until I realized what I had to do for sure. I wasn't the only one who had gone this way, with the scar, bringing shame to the first one who had obtained it. No, it wasn't over. It was never over, especially not for me. I made sure of that.

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The End

…Haha, just kidding. There is still the epilogue left. I know, quick ending, right? I'm sorry, but I didn't feel as though there was much left. Fillers would only prolong the inevitable- well, what I want to happen in the story anyway. Now, I've got a very, very, muy importante question to ask. Is there anything, anything at all, that you guys don't understand, that you would like me to explain? If you have any questions that I could answer either in the epilogue itself or in an AU or something, please don't hesitate to ask. If I don't answer any of these questions, just know that the prequel will most likely do that. So, hope you all enjoyed, and stay posted for the next and last chap of Seeing All or Nothing. Until then… And Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year in case I don't update by that or around that time:-D


	27. Epilogue

**_Seeing All or Nothing_**

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Epilogue

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It was quiet in the throne room, which was usual when the king and queen were away during this time of the year, visiting the Gerudo queen, leaving Princess Zelda in charge. She sat on her mother's throne- the one made of velvet and rimmed with gold lace and jewels the size of her thumb. Her hair was braided back, still shimmering in light that I couldn't see. Beside her stood Impa- still as stone, eyes that bore into nothing but the wall opposite her.

"How do you think they are faring, Impa?" Zelda asked, voice jaded and callous, eyes half open.

The Sheikah shrugged, "Just as usual, I am sure."

"They are running out of time," the blonde didn't seem fazed by her own words, "It has been too long."

Impa was growing impatient with the eighteen year old, "Only two years has passed…"

"And nearly thirteen in theirs," the princess snapped, glancing with narrowed eyes at the Sheikah.

Impa sighed, breaking her staring contest with the wall to shake her head in dismay.

"Where is my brother?" Zelda muttered, "I told him to return before sunset."

"He hasn't stepped foot in the forest since…" Impa trailed off, knowing she couldn't win the argument she had been fighting over for the past year. _Since he ran away._

The double oak doors that led into the throne room creaked open a little more than a foot. The soldiers near didn't move the slightest, looking like the stone statues they stood next to. _Protect the Royal Family_ was scrolled in ancient Hylian below the Griffin, gleaming in gray light.

"Brother," Zelda's voice echoed through the hall, and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling quivered, "Where have you been? I was so worried." Impa suppressed the urge to roll her eyes like she always did when the princess couldn't see.

The blonde's hair was frazzled, clothes wrinkled and stained with grass. He smiled half-heartedly. There were dark circles around his eyes. He glanced around the room, eyes passing the darkest corner of the hall before resting upon Zelda. He stuffed something in his back pocket, and advanced forward on the royal blue carpeting- the one void of rips or bloodstains for the past two years. I marveled at that.

He motioned with his hands, telling her he was sorry that he was late. An old lady along the trail had dropped her groceries and he had stopped to help her. He was lying, I could tell. He was too busy searching for something, and Zelda knew it, too. By the look in her eyes, I could tell she was pondering what to do. Instead, I didn't focus on it anymore because whenever I did, I would remember. She was a coward then, and was still; she even had to keep her guard up around Link, no matter how imprisoned he was in Hyrule, how helpless he would be if it was just him against the family that forced him to stay.

I left the room quietly, unnoticed like always.

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Each time my fingers blended with the stone, I feared it would stay there- as if I would solidify and have my hand stuck in a bunch of stone. But it didn't happen that way, I mean, how could it? I couldn't feel the texture of the rock, the coldness that should have seeped into my skin. There were no indents whenever I tried to scratch the rock, only a few grains would loosen and glide to the floor, unperturbed by me, only by time.

And with time, the castle aged, the people living in it did as well. Those on the outside world had grown and aged and even died as well; the world was changing, without me. I couldn't remember faces or sounds or smells, only those that I had seen or felt or even tasted on that day. It didn't change; that was all. Everyday, it ran through my head. I saw Kenny, eyes watering, holding onto this lifeless form with skin that seeped in black because of this scar that overcame it, and killed it. There was this blonde boy, about my age, grabbing hold of this Sheikah's collar, forcing him to stand- to run. The Hylian soldiers, dressed in armor of silver and gold and black, would kill them all if they didn't run. Behind the blonde boy was another, with brown hair instead of black. He held a vial in his hand, with liquid as crystalline as the blade of my sword- the one that sat up in the tallest tower of the castle, broken.

So they ran, stumbling out in distress where a girl with shimmering hair and wings waited. Instead of a smile that would have lit up the room, she was grimacing, just as the brunette behind her. The soldiers were closing in on them; the word _traitors_ still fresh on their lips. But they jumped out the window, glass shattered, scattering on the smooth marble tile. They fell in the moat, cold and wet just like before. I only assumed a couple of them made it, and some had stayed- or had been caught trying to escape.

One sat in his room, up in the second tallest tower, where he usually had to be in the afternoon if he wasn't allowed in the courtyard. _House arrest_, he had murmured to the thick air filled with dust and more dust.

I reached over to him, fingers stretched as far as they could go, but I never touched. He glanced toward his shoulder, where my fingers should have been. I could only see that same horror-stricken face, the beads of sweat that had dotted his forehead from anticipation to escape. I pulled away, wishing I could give him some air. There was a small window adjacent to the wall with the door, raggedy blue curtains covering the light that should have seeped in. But I couldn't touch those either.

"_I have the mirror_," he mouthed, but to whom I didn't know; I watched his mouth form the words anyway, "_Kenny said he would buy this for you, remember?_"

If my heart still raced it would have. Why would he talk to me? Had he heard me, screaming in distress for what happened, what could have happened?

"_He gave me money to buy it…_" He stood up from the bed, and reached for something in his pocket. It was a velvet pouch, a little lengthy but the item inside must have been longer. He undid the tie and slipped the item out. I winced, and it had been forever since I had winced for something.

It was familiar, and not in the way that made me wish I hadn't seen it. A mirror, rimmed with small mosaic tiles the color of the rainbow, stood awash in light that I never knew existed. It jumped out, more than anything, and so did Link. His eyes alighted in it; a deep, sharp blue I had forgotten.

_Link_, my mind whispered it over and over. His head snapped up, eyes wide with shock. I called his name again. His hands shook.

"_Jade?_" he mouthed, eyes frantic and searching.

_I'm here, I'm here. What's that mirror supposed to do?_ My voice was hard to distinguish from the reality he lived in. But when he stumbled for his notepad and pencil, I knew he had heard me- in what way, I wasn't sure.

"_He said it would help, I don't know what else."_ He scrawled, penmanship messier than I last remembered. He was fumbling so bad that he couldn't even form voiceless words with his mouth anymore.

I nodded in understanding, and then stopped when I grasped the fact that he couldn't see me. Instead, I outstretched my hand toward the mirror, glowing like millions of tiny prisms in the sunlight. The mosaics were smooth, the glass mirror even smoother than that. Looking through it, I saw my reflection: brown eyes, pale skin, matted dark hair. And everything came tumbling down. The humid air washed over me, suffocating me enough that I began to convulse in a raspy cough, and then the weight of gravity settled in, the texture of the air, the rough feel of reality.

A warm hand clamped onto mine, and I jumped away, falling to the floor. In that instant, I let go of the mirror, unable to see my reflection any longer. Everything swirled away, the hard stone of the floor gone. Link collapsed next to me, resting on my leg. He jumped away, eyes wide. His pale, gray form shivered uncontrollably, as he rested his back against the wall, gray and cold like him, like everything else.

"_Jade,_" his lips quivered, "_Where'd you go?_"

I backed away from him, eyes unfocused. Beside the bed was the mirror, still gleaming. Surreal. The glass was cracked, my reflection gone.

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"And what do you say we do, now?" Impa's voice echoed as she paced Zelda's oversized bedroom, nearly six times the size of Link's.

The princess sighed, tapping her fingers on her forehead as she sunk deeper into her feather-soft mattress, pillows the size of her small form enveloping her further. "What _should_ we do?" Zelda sighed, stretching her elegant arms over her head. For once I didn't remember her fierce gaze, those smoldering blue eyes that had stared me down. I saw what she _would_ do, if she got her way.

"Neus is heading here, now," Impa stated, "With the entire family at our disposal. If you have no action to stop this charade, then I have nothing more than to send a message to the King telling him you are _unfit_ to rule."

Zelda sat up, expression furious, "You wouldn't dare!"

Impa grimaced, "Watch me."

And the Sheikah stormed out the door, exactly where I stood. She passed through me; I gasped, coldness prickling up my spine like pins and needles. The Sheikah stopped in her tracks, shoulders rigid.

"What?" Zelda hissed, jumping off her bed, nightgown swaying along with her, "Did you forget to add some more insults?"

Impa craned her neck toward the blonde, gaze reaching just above where my head should have been, "No. I just forgot to tell you that you have a ghost in your room. And it isn't very please. But, I should have guessed, you haven't had a good night's rest in over two years."

Zelda's eyes widened, mouth gaping, the realization that I was actually here killing her insides. The Sheikah slammed the door behind her, a smirk quirking her lips.

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"They have arrived, Your Highness," Cal announced, after he had kneeled in front of the princess in his heavy armor.

Zelda smiled, "Bring them in."

Cal nodded ever so slightly, then stood up. Motioning behind him to the two soldiers, the oak doors swayed open, sending an unnatural breeze that passed through me like everything else- even that fly I had tried to swat away during the beginning of summer that first year.

Standing there was Neus. Next to her was Ariella; both holding grim expressions unfamiliar with the likes of myself. Their faces were haggard, circles around their eyes, backs drooping. As they moved forward, I could see those behind them- the ones conned into entering the real world with them. I wasn't exactly familiar with all the faces, but I recognized Leander and Zeus, still as grim as the two before them. The other three were soldiers, helmets off, the weather too hot for it, as they carried motionless bodies into the throne room.

"Finally," Zelda murmured, standing up. I snuck up behind her, glancing at the sword in its hilt from where it rested against the armrest. "It took you thirteen mortal years to find the child," the princess sneered, "Any longer and I would have placed you all as dead."

Neus stepped forward, wings glittering in ashen gray mist. "The boy was hard to find, Your Majesty…"

"The parents…" Ariella began, glimpsing toward two fallen forms on the carpet. The boy was still in the soldier's grasp, head lolling. "Took up a fight."

Zelda glided toward the parents, leaning forward every so slightly to glare at them. "They look familiar… How is this?"

Zeus glanced at Leander, a smirk lighting his tiresome features for a split second.

"Is that so?" Neus voiced, an unfamiliar edge in her tone.

Zelda glared at the two for a moment, before returning to the couple. She kicked the father in the stomach, lolling him on his back.

I froze then, eyes unable to tear away.

He looked nothing like I remembered- hair shorter, circles around his eyes, taller, muscular, older. Thirteen years older.

_Kado..._

"Ah, the human," Zelda mused, before turning to the mother… the mother…He had a kid… There was a ring on his left ring finger…He was _married_… The woman's face was more haggard, hair long, clothes wrinkled like her husband's. I doubted they would go without a fight, and they hadn't- not at all.

_Isabella_, a voice sneered in my head.

"I should have known," Zelda drawled, walking toward Neus and Ariella. They lowered their heads, avoiding the princess's gaze. "You two found the boy, congratulations, and brought the parents, as well… You are free to go. Don't return to the castle, or I'll have the soldiers kill you on the spot."

Ariella mumbled something under her breath, glancing at Zeus. He took her hand, squeezing it lightly. Zelda narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the two.

"Love," the princess sighed, "So unpredictable. Who would have known those two would have a chance- when grief gripped his heart."

Neus sneered, "It was your doing; they weren't meant…"

"_Silence_," Zelda snapped, turning to the fairy, "I have granted you freedom, pixie, and this is how you repay me…? Guards, have these free immortals removed from my sight before I change my mind."

"You can't do this!" Zeus exclaimed, as gauntleted hands gripped his arms, "Leave the parents be."

Zelda smirked, turning around on her heels, back facing them. Neus could see it, the forged remorse once present on the princess's face no longer there. She tore away from the guard that held her, reaching for the dagger that rested in the folds of her dress. But she didn't get far, when the soldier groped her translucent, glowing wing. She cried out in pain and exasperation, swirling around on the balls of her feet, dagger flying into the soldier's neck. He cried out, stopping mid to finish off in a gurgle, and released her wing.

"Neus!" Ariella screamed, elbowing the soldier in the abdomen, trying to writhe away. But it was too late. The soldier with the dagger sticking from his neck, blood pouring from the wound, fell to his knees, eyes heaving upward. He died before his head hit on the floor, his soul rising up, eyes as hollow as the Griffins lining the throne room.

"Have her executed at dawn," Zelda said, voice uninterested as if one of her men hadn't just been killed, "And make sure they all see it, including the mortals- as a lesson."

And they were led away, into the lowest part of the castle, where sunlight didn't reach, where rats scurried and fought for rotting human flesh, where the mortar that held the stone together still looked fresh, but smelled like mold and dirt and feces.

"What shall we do with the boy, Your Highness?" Cal finally spoke, eyes distant, lips held in a grim line.

It was quiet for a few seconds, as thoughts raced through the girl's head. "Take him to the place where we have prepared for him, up in the tower, undisturbed for the rest of the night. Make sure His Highness stays away."

"Of course, Your Highness." And they were led away, other than the Oren family.

They were dragged away.

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It was my entire fault- all mine. If I hadn't been such a bitch to him, hadn't turned him away when he had needed me the most. Maybe I wouldn't have lost my concentration, had turned my back on Impa, and had let that damn sword get to me. It was my fault- entirely.

He wouldn't have aged thirteen years, maybe he wouldn't have had to go through this hell, had to marry Isabella…unless he was happy. But he was unconscious, next to his wife. I glanced at her wedding ring, the sparkling diamond ring. There was nothing I could do. He looked happy, at least, I thought he did. Maybe he was happy with her, and I would have thought as much, since they had a thirteen year old kid with them.

But I still didn't like it- that feeling that pulled at my invisible heartstrings. A kid… And how long had they been married? How long after I'd been dead did he knock her up? How long after that did he propose?

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"_I can't believe it's broken_," the Sheikah's voice resounded through the walls, reaching my hearing from all the way to the throne room. Even the servants' voices couldn't deter me from hearing him.

I could see him now, lounging on the wooden rocking chair, holding the broken mirror in his hand while he gazed into it. Link sat on the bed, looking ashamed.

"How do we see her, now? We won't be able to help her," Kenny shook his head, running a hand through his hair, "What do we do, Link?"

The blonde shrugged, glancing at the mirror. It looked less bright, glowing in the iridescent, unnatural light that I couldn't see, and maybe never.

"They've found the boy," Kenny sighed, eyes turning to Link, "Do you know who the parents are?"

Link shook his head in a negative gesture, looking curious still.

The Sheikah sighed, slumping his shoulders, "Jade would hate this…" Link leaned forward, lips parted, "Kado, apparently. And Isabella."

Link's eyes widened, mine would have narrowed if I remembered to. Instead I screamed, irritated.

"Did you hear that?" Kenny asked, eyes wide, as he searched the room.

Link shook his head again. _No…_

He was too busy thinking about the fact that he'd finally seen me, again- in over two years.

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Usually when you have a haunting, there's a reason to it. A few years of watching ghost shows and I'd say I'm an intelligent haunting… No, not like that. But I know who's there, and who's not, and what's going on. I can scare the shit out of you, or I can help you- depends if I like you or not. I admit, I get a kick out of scaring you, but being what I am, and only able to materialize the best after a thunderstorm isn't so much fun. You can guess why I'm such a moody being. And I'm no floating orb, if you're wondering. I can even be a silky if I wanted to be one, but I'm not. I'm a ghost.

And when there's a ghost, it means something. Did I say that already…? Maybe, but I can't exactly see my own brain…or my head…or my entire body for that matter. So my IQ may have gone down. I've even tried walking through walls- and it's worked! But I've only once seen myself in the last two or so years, and that chance is shattered, literally. So, I'm stuck haunting the castle along with a few other ghosts too stupid to know where they are, repeating the moment they died. A residual haunting, if you were wondering. I stay clear away from them, knowing that my own memories of the day I died were enough to keep me moaning in grief for hours, sitting in Zelda's or Impa's room, hoping they heard me crying out, knowing I wouldn't let it down until I felt peace.

I wasn't the only ghost haunting them, and I certainly wouldn't be the last. Of course, I'd say I would be the first to get some real payback. That boy up in that tower was going to live a life imprisoned in a world he didn't know, wondering why he had a scar all along his body, why every time he met a Sheikah, or simply saw one- he would feel this gnawing coldness forcing him to do something he would never do.

I wouldn't let it happen, ever.

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His name wasn't exactly scrawled on his baseball jersey, other than his last name- Oren. He looked like a younger version of his father: messy hair, curved nose, freckles. I wanted to lift his eyelids, see the color of his eyes, but then I remembered- I couldn't see color anyway.

The boy's breathing was slow, even- chest rising and falling, a peaceful look on his features. I was hoping he was having pleasant dreams.

"So, this is the kid," a soft murmur that made me jump, knocking the chair that I had been standing by onto the floor. "Who's there?" Kenny asked, voice low.

But I stared at the chair, shocked. It just wasn't possible, I could never have…

"Jade?" He kneeled to the floor, placing his hand on the cold stone, "Give me another sign…please…"

_I can't_… It was hopeless…

Minutes past, and he gave up, sitting on the floor. I placed my hand on his arm, wishing more than ever that he could see me, feel me there as solid as himself, as the kid. There had to be another way.

"Jade," his gaze had fallen on his arm, "the mirror's broken…"

Yeah, I know…

He smirked, shaking his head a little, "But…I think there's another way." I pulled away from him. The smirk disappeared, his twenty-year old face looking more and more like his brother's.

_How? How??_ I repeated over and over again until he answered.

"You remember the game, right?" He whispered, gaze shifting to the boy. For a moment I thought he meant the dream, _my _dream. But, that hadn't been what he meant. Not at all. "And I won't lie to you. I hope you're listening…"

_I am, yeah, tell me_, I snapped. I hoped he felt the impatience somewhere in the air.

"It's…" he stopped mid-sentence, a small groan cutting him off. He disappeared into the shadows, the words caught in his throat. But I could finish it for him, as easily as if I could read his mind.

…_The Lens of Truth_…

The thing was- how do you find something that's been missing for centuries?

A questioning whimper escaped the boy's lips, breaking through my thoughts, as his eyes fluttered open to meet his fate. And I made a promise then and there, that I would undoubtedly be there to greet him.

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_Fin_

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Well, there it is, guys. What a relief, neh? Hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I did writing it. Thank you for all your guys' reviews throughout and for those who've stuck around until the end. I love you guys and you're all totally awesome!

I've got one last little, itty, bitty favor to ask: if you guys can review this epilogue, tell me what you all think. And I'm asking all of you- those who've alerted, faved, or just stuck around and read to see what happened next. Tell me what you think, what I can improve in, what you liked, what you would love to see more of or never again, and any questions at all, or more stuff you would love to see in the prequel. Advanced critique is loved so just click on that lil' blue or purple or whatever button below and review and I'll definitely get back to you. Stay posted for the prequel, savvy? Until next time.

P.S Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!


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